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Chap Copyright No. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

























































i 














THE 


Uncrowned Prince 


The Mystery of the Yellow Manse 


/ 

Joseph J. Farrington 

H 



NEW YORK 


1900 


<19 

& .a. tj 


|L.ibwary of Congresuj 

I Two Copies Received 

! DEC 22 1900 

<7\ Copyright entry 

/t/y'VOo 

No 

SECOND COPY 

(Delivered to 

ORDER DIVISION 

, P.EC , 28 I90Q— 


•pis 

.F2.HP11 


Copyright 
J. J. FARRINGTON 


1900 


Dedicated 

Co my Best friend, $. fi. 3- 


PREFACE. 


To the Reader : 

There stands an old yellow brick structure — no 
matter where — remarkable for its architectural design. 
Perhaps you have passed by it, and wondered with 
the author, “What on earth was that built for?'’ 
No business is done there, and seldom any one is 
seen around it, so that it always appears deserted. 
On one corner attached to it rises a tall, oddly-fash- 
ioned old yellow brick house with a great high tower 
— no less peculiar than the building beside it. Some 
call it the “ Yellow Manse ” to distinguish it from the 
main pile. The structure altogether is as strange to 
the oldest as the latest arrival in the neighborhood. 
Mothers frighten their children by telling them that 
unless they are good they will put them in the old 
Yellow Manse. This is the name by which the build- 
ings are generally known, and a mystery enshrouds 
their existence. 


The Author. 


CONTENTS. 


I. A Heal Dark Night 1 

II. The Abduction 31 

III. A Unique Burial 59 

IV. The Adventures of Jeremy Owens 79 

V. When Love is in Earnest 115 

VI. Conflicting Messages 130 

VII. Strange Sights and Strange People 140 

VIII. The Lovers Meet 147 

IX. Little by Little the Deviltry Comes to 

Light 166 

X. The Eastern Prince 182 

XI. “You Have Played Me False ” 195 

Xn. “Are You, too, a Traitor?” 204 

Xin. A Voyage of Discovery 219 

XIV. The Return 227 

XV. Plot on Plot 232 

XVI. The Beginning of the End 241 

XVII. The Climax 255 

XVIII. Wedding and Funeral 263 

XIX. The Yellow Manse 270 


































































































9 



— OR,- 

fpi?e M^sfe^ of % fellow Manse. 


CHAPTER I. 

A REAL DARK NIGHT. 

“ O’er all there hung a shadow and a fear ; 

A sense of mystery the spirit daunted, 

\nd said as plain as whisper in the ear, 

The place is haunted.” 

IGHT is slowly setting over one of onr large 
cities. All day long the rain poured down 
in torrents upon the dingy old tenements 
that stand as spectres in the fading western sunlight. 
The tortuous and murky old river winds its crooked 
course hard by that sort of factories in which human 
life is slowly but surely sacrificed for a miserable 
sustenance. The streets, deep with mud, which had 
been well-nigh deserted all day, fairly swarm with 
life as the loud clamoring of bells and the monot- 
onous tones of the husky shop whistles set up a deaf- 
ening roar. Crowds of women shabbily dressed, 
bearing on their weary heads a few pieces of wood, 
scramble out of the large mills that stand by the 




2 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


river. Now comes a promiscuous rush of old broken- 
down men laden with sixty or more years of toil ; 
young men, too, whose brows already tell the hard 
strain of labor they must endure ; and finally, little 
boys and girls with dirt-begrimed faces — children 
whose lives might be prolonged and rendered infinitely 
more useful to themselves, their parents, and to the 
city that gave them birth, were it not that the base 
hand of Monopoly bade them leave the nursery of 
their homes, their schools, aye, their very God, to 
put an additional dollar into the simonious coffers of 
Trusts. O Truth, everlasting witness of wrongs, be- 
hold the condition of these sweltering wretches, and 
declare in all sincerity, if it is not the hand of civil 
avarice rung by the rich man’s shake, that is the cause 
of these existing evils, so plainly visible to any one 
that has a spark of philanthrophy in his veins. It 
may be objected that parents desire their children of 
such tender years to spend their days of youth 
prisoners in sweat-box manufactories ? Oh, how the 
natural love of a mother has changed from what God 
made it ! The mother, whom Christ Himself said, 
when teaching the multitude, could not forget the 
child of her womb ; and yet we see this strong argu- 
ment fall by the pernicious act of a mother forget- 
ting her offspring so far, and unsexing all that is noble 
in motherhood, by virtually casting aside the child 
of her bosom for the sake of a few paltry pennies 
that it might earn ? Surely the adversaries of the 
poor would deem this worthy of the greatest con- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


3 


sideration, if it were not known by men of common 
sense that parents nowadays are placed in a sad 
dilemma with their children. Starvation stares them 
in the face in two degrees : one mean, the other ex- 
treme. They choose the lesser of two evils, and a 
life of poverty is the onty inheritance a laborer leaves 
to his child. While thus viewing the wear and tear 
of life in its dreariest aspect, Father Rogers, the 
saintly old shepherd of St. Mary’s parish, reflected 
deeply on the scene that met his gaze. This amia- 
ble and friendly old gentleman, during the period of 
more than thirty years, watched the interests of his flock 
with unceasing care. He saw the tide of misery 
sweep by his door day after day, and none more than 
he, understood what his parishioners had to undergo 
endeavoring to eke out a livelihood under an un- 
scrupulous municipality. Here on the veranda of 
the quaint rectory he was wont to sit when free from 
the labors of his priestly office, and with words full of 
sympathy and encouragement, extend to all his neigh- 
bors — Catholics and Protestants alike — wise counsels 
whereby to learn how to bear up manfully under their 
sufferings. The sun which had now sunk to rest, 
left a dull, heavy-looking mist hanging over the river, 
and this mist increased to a hazy vaporous atmos- 
phere that arose from the meadows which stretched 
over the lower section of the city. The rain which 
had ceased toward evening, began to descend again, 
at first slowly, but soon faster and faster, until it 
came down in torrents. Luckily, the workingmen 


4 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


had an opportunity to seek shelter before the storm 
was at its height. Safe on the porch, hidden by two 
large extending willows that threw their ominous 
shadows over the old parsonage, sat the genial rec- 
tor. His large full face, contrary to the ordinary 
Yankee ( for his reverence was thoroughly American ), 
lighted up by two large blue eyes, expressed the 
warmth of feeling that dwelt in his broad, well-shaped 
bosom. A tinge of sadness broke upon his counte- 
nance as now and then the lightning flashed more 
sharply, or the dull peal of thunder bellowed more 
fiercely in the great black sky above. In one of 
these gloomy moments, Father Delon, who had been 
travelling in Europe for some months, issued quietly 
from the sitting-room, and tapped the pastor gently 
upon the shoulder. Instantly the old priest turned 
round, and seeing his assistant, he stretched forth his 
hand, and with a kind, jovial smile beaming on his 
countenance, addressed the young priest : “ Why, 
George, how did you enjoy your trip ? Welcome 
back ! I have been lonely without you.” 

Before the curate could answer a question, he was 
asked at least twenty, and finally when the opportunity 
came, he paused a few moments, as if fearing to speak. 
The pastor observing the confusion of his friend, con- 
tinued : “ I know, George, why you hesitate. You 
saw I was in a sad mood when you arrived. Ha ! ha ! 
don’t mind that, my boy, I’m probably in my dotage ; ” 
and the silvery voice of the whole-souled priest broke 
into a merry laugh. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


5 


“ Father, why did you look so downcast as I made 
my appearance ? ” 

“My dear child, I was thinking about a mystery.” 

“ A mystery ! ” 

“ Come now, George, I don’t wantjyou to get a blue 
spell after such a pleasant journey. How are your 
parents ? ” 

“Father, I will never more be happy,” was the 
sad reply. 

“ What is the matter, pray ? Has anything hap- 
pened to your folks at home ? ” 

Big tears stood in the black eyes of the assistant as 
he ventured to say : “ I have no home.” 

“Impossible, my young friend,” said his aged 
friend, “ are your mother and father dead? ” 

The curate could not control the emotion that 
choked his utterance, and he went on in reply to the 
rector’s question, weeping bitterly all the while : 
“Father, I am a stranger to myself. A mystery 
enshrouds my soul. I am — I am not George De- 
lon.” 

“ Have you lost your reason, my friend. Do, I en- 
treat you, tell me what has happened to you abroad ? ’ 

Silence passed between the two for some minutes. 
One dared not to interrogate further ; the other was so 
overwhelmed with grief that he could not declare the 
bitter contest that was raging within him. At last he 
sufficiently mastered himself to say : “ Father, this 
' note will explain all, save the violent sufferings 
which I endure in my soul.” 


6 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


He then handed the pastor a letter, which the latter 
opened hastily and read as follows : 

“Dear George: Alas! we must part forever. I whom 
you considered to be your mother, am such only in name, 
though God is a witness that I have tried to be in reality a 
mother to you. My husband, whom you designated ‘Father,’ 
is not so by nature, being, like myself, only related to you by 
adoption. Farewell ! darling ; I am dying. Perhaps it is bet- 
ter that you do not know all. Good-bye, and may God bless 
you! 

“ Madame Delon.” 

When Father Rogers concluded reading this strange 
epistle, he looked pitifully at his young friend. 
“ Queer case this, my boy. What had your adopted 
father to say about the letter ? ” 

“ I had no chance of talking to him, he having long 
since left the country.” 

“ He is the only person, George, that can reveal 
your identity. Console yourself, dear friend ; I will 
in truth be a father to you until that time comes when 
all will be made manifest. I am deeply interested in 
your case, George, and in the present instance of my 
life I need your co-operation badly. Pastors, as a 
rule, don’t appreciate their curates till they have left 
them ; but as I have always thought well of you and 
your services, George, you must now help me out of 
a difficulty. ” 

“ Pray, what may it be ? ” 

“ Enough of these matters for the present. What 
about Rome, and Venice, and Paris ? ” 

The direct manner in which the rector spoke had 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


7 


tlie effect of rendering the disposition of the curate 
more cool and collected. The pastor listened to the 
narrative of his fellow-priest attentively, and the latter 
having abruptly finished, the two priests relapsed 
into a taciturn mood. 

This was at last broken when the curate uncon- 
sciously muttered, “ difficulty. ” At this significant 
utterance, Father Rogers rose quickly to his feet and 
vehemently replied : “ Difficulty ! aye, and more — a 

mystery ! Father Delon, God willing, it shall be, and 
must be solved ! ” Quickly going toward the sitting- 
room, he slammed the door behind him. The sudden 
departure, and the strange expression of the old gen- 
tleman’s face, whose evenness of temperament he had 
never before seen ruffied, though ofttimes sorely tried, 
excited the imagination of the young Frenchman. 
While the storm raged with incessant fury, lost to all 
the fierceness of the elements, the curate though t only 
of the mystery of his own existence, and the peculiar 
actions of his venerated friend, the pastor. Sudden- 
ly the tall form of the rector appeared in the doorway, 
and taking the chair he had occupied a moment pre- 
vious, sat down, apparently fatigued. The assistant 
moved toward him and stood by his side. All was as 
dark as midnight, though the clock just struck the 
hour of seven. The talk in which the priests indulged 
was scarcely audible above the tempest. The vivid 
flashes of light revealed their presence. A finer pict- 
ure could not have been sketched than that which 
these two clergymen presented. The one, a man of 


8 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


stately physique and of nearly seventy winters, with 
snow-white locks flowing gracefully down upon his 
broad shoulders, slightly bent ; the other, a tall, rather 
dark-complexioned young man, with large black eyes 
and exquisite facial appearance. What a contrast by 
the side of the elder ! His hair was as black as his 
eyes, and hung in abundance round a well-shaped 
head. A long nose set off thin rose-colored lips. His 
cheeks, of a graceful cut, and a chin smaller and round- 
er than the medium, completed the physiognomy of 
the handsome French priest. They resembled father 
and son rather than strangers related to each other by 
the clerical tie, and a promise. Father Delon scanned 
the worried features of the rector without being 
observed. After a long interval, during which not a 
word was spoken, the curate, realizing the danger of 
standing on a platform which was open on every side 
to gusts of wind, any of which might invite an elec- 
tric current and its subsequent damages to enter the 
parsonage, made his exit through the sitting-room to 
the parlor, where he lighted the lamp for the benefit 
of the pastor, who followed him. Beneath the dimly- 
burning light could be described four oaken chairs 
placed around a square oaken table. A desk, an old 
dilapidated sofa, and a few pictures hanging upon 
the clean white walls, completed the furniture of the 
room. Silence reigned supreme, while the old gentle- 
man peered out of the large bay-window that looked 
out on the principal street of the city. The curate 
watched his actions with the greatest attention. Al- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


9 


most immediately after they had been seated, the 
fixed gaze of Father Rogers grew more perplexed. 
His large blue eyes expanded far beyond their 
normal size ; his cheeks, always of a healthy glow, 
grew redder ; and his thick lips clinched tightly to 
his teeth. In this attitude, with his form as straight 
as an arrow, the rector sat, gazing fiercely out into the 
storm. The white silken hair seemed to rise from 
his forehead, and the picture he presented struck in- 
termingled terror and admiration in the heart of the 
young dark-eyed assistant. “ Mystery ! mystery ! ” 
he shouted, evidently unconscious of the curate’s 
presence. The misgiving Father Delon felt when he 
approached the pastor in the early evening, now took 
a greater hold upon him as the hours sped by. 
“What,” thought he, “is the pastor mad? Oh, I 
have made him thus by the tale of my sad life.” 
The pastor was extremely sensitive to all that apper- 
tained to the welfare of others ; forgetting himself, he 
suffered all for the friend he loved. “ Father Rogers 
is mad,” the curate repeated again and again. Father 
Delon’s head was whirring round with thoughts that 
he could not control nor drive away. He prayed for 
relief, but none came. The sad look which the pas- 
tor had shown when he narrated the tale of his life 
was now changed to one of terrible fury. “ He is mad. 
There is positive proof in his visage.” The curate 
could not otherwise account for the strange phenom- 
ena that had taken hold of the pastor than in the awful 
declaration, “ He is mad.” Some solution must soon 


10 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

be forthcoming, else the young priest could no longer 
stand the strain which the pitiful peculiarities of his 
superior had stirred up within his brain. All the 
fearful uprisings that lay siege to an afflicted mind 
presented themselves, as he meditated upon his own 
strange revelation. “ Whose child am 1 ? God 
knows,” he sadly murmured. A violent shudder 
shook his frame from head to foot, as he began to 
soliloquize further : “ Maybe I have judged wrongly ; 
perchance, I am mad myself ! ” He dared not ap- 
proach his elder, though he kept his eyes fixedly upon 
him. While thus in anxious expectation to know 
what might be the cause of his rector’s troubles, a 
tremendous clap of thunder shook the rectory to its 
very foundation. Dazed by the crash, Father Eogers 
glanced about him with an affrighted stare, only to 
discover that his young assistant was anxiously await- 
ing his return to consciousness from the re very, if 
such it might be called, that had taken possession of 
him. “ Well, well, George, you heard me say that I 
had a difficulty to solve ; you have one also ; both are 
wrapped up in a deeply hidden mystery. George, with 
that house yonder rests a tale that we must investi- 
gate. It may, perhaps, throw some light upon your- 
self as well as on me.” The curate looked amazed at 
the white-haired speaker, who, lost in deep contempla- 
tion, peered through the rain and mist in the direction 
of the Omar Mansion, which stood opposite the paro- 
chial residence, hidden, like it, in a forest of tall wil- 
lows and elms. “ Mystery, Father ? Please explain.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


11 


The venerable priest had by this time recovered 
from the dreadful lethargy which had held his powers 
of intellect so firmly concentrated that he had com- 
pletely lost his senses, and once more resuming that 
good-natured disposition which every one loved to 
speak of, he rejoined : “ Look yonder at the ‘ Yellow 
Manse ’ — the house of Omar.” 

Father Delon did as he was commanded to do, but 
saw nothing, except the rain that splashed against 
the window. 

“ Do you see nothing? ” 

“ Nothing, save the rain.” 

“ Behold the shimmering light that darts at inter- 
vals from the tree tops above ; follow its course as it 
descends.” 

“I now see a window in Omar’s mansion.” 

“ Look at right angles above it, and tell me what 
you perceive.” 

No sooner had the assistant beheld the window 
that was pointed out to him, than his body shook 
with convulsions. The sight which met his gaze 
can only be obscurely repeated. Toward the end of 
the jetted roof, which was sharp-sloping, there ap- 
peared a little window of triangular shape. Over it 
was a second window of the same style, placed in a 
transversal order, so that the light that shone from 
both formed a star. The curate, like one transfixed, 
glared at the curiously-framed window. His black 
eyes glistened like fire, and his rosy-colored cheeks, 
now pale from fright, showed that sterner nature that 


12 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

lay under an accustomed gleeful smile. Tlie former 
rigidness of Father Rogers’ expression was tempered 
somewhat by his venerable appearance, but the black 
visage of the younger clergyman lacked this to over- 
shadow the boldness that was now so heavily im- 
printed on it. What power had thus affected him ? 
By his side was now standing his best friend, as meek 
and lovely as an angel. His white locks fell gener- 
ously over his shoulders, while now and then a slight 
breeze curled over his white face, brightened by its 
characteristic cheerfulness. He who but a moment 
ago was so savage looking, now possessed such powers 
of veneration that the holy and just alone can have. 
“ Angel and devil ! ” No ; there was no devil, nor 
perhaps an angel ; but yet two priests, one overcome 
by the heavenly grace which beams upon a man ac- 
customed to the practice of virtue, the other charmed, 
rather cursed, by some mysterious working. Father 
Rogers watched with kindly eyes the awful coun- 
tenance of his young assistant, which, the latter finally 
perceiving, turned his glanced from the enchanted 
window, bearing on his lips a curl of scorn and con- 
tempt at the proceedings he had been compelled to 
witness. The spell was broken. No sooner had his 
eyes been taken from the “ Yellow Manse ” than they 
lost their fevered glow, and like one who had received a 
strong current of electricity, his body stiffened out for 
an instant, and then grew lax. Father Rogers bore 
him to a chair, and having procured stimulants from 
an outer room, after much work, at length revived him. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


13 


“ What has happened, Father? ” 

“ I saw that frightful window. I saw the difficulty, 
the mystery — dark and deep as hell is that.” 

Father Delon stared persistently into the large 
blue eyes of the genial rector, and awaited a reply. 

“ George, I know what you wish me to do,” said 
the pastor, stroking the black curly hair of the curate, 
“ reveal a mystery ; and the same I require you to do 
for me. This is the reason why 1 pointed out to you 
the wonderful window across the way. Now as you 
have obtained nearly as much information as myself 
in regard to the queer workings in that mansion, per- 
haps you can put a better construction on the whole 
thing. We must put our heads together, and if there 
is any solution to the wonderful things we have seen, 
we must work it out.” The curate enthusiastically 
responded : “ We will, Father, we will.” Saying this, 
the young priest moved two chairs to the bay-window 
of the rectory, and both priests sat down to try to 
unravel the mysterious workings they had seen in 
the window opposite. 

“ You think, then, that the devil has set up his work- 
shop in the Yellow Manse ; you believe somewhat in 
the superstition — the nearer the church, the further 
from God.” 

“ Father,” responded the youthful priest, “ I am not 
superstitious, neither am I too credulous to trust 
stories that have an oddity about them ; but what I 
have seen with my own eyes cannot well deceive me. 
I dare not look in the direction of that awful spec- 


14 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


tacle again. That window is bewitched. No sooner 
do you consent freely to gaze upon it than free will 
is at an end, and you are compelled to behold those 
uncanny sights that make the heart grow sick with 
fear.” 

Both avoided a view of the window simultaneously. 
There was no cessation to the storm. It would evi- 
dently last, from the present indications, for the 
night. The wind which until now was comparatively 
mild, began to blow somewhat fiercely. The shutters 
of the neighboring tenements registered a high wind, 
as many were loosened from their fastenings and 
strewn along the muddy streets. The cries of infants, 
suffocating in small rooms where seldom a good 
breeze penetrates, or a ray of sunlight gleams, com- 
bined with the turmoil that issued from the factories, 
and other weird noises for which the night is remark- 
able, added to the fury of the roaring wind — and all 
these various cadences were anything but pleasant to 
the silent, listening ears of the good fathers, as they 
watch the lurid glare of the heavens and talked over 
the Mystery of the Yellow Manse. 

“ What mystifying power can be stored away in that 
mansion, I wonder ? ” spoke Father Rogers, as he 
lighted a long clay pipe that had given solace to his 
woes on many previous occasions. 

“ The first time an idea struck me that anything 
was being enacted there, was on last Thursday. I 
had just entered my room after attending to a sick 
call (it was nearly midnight), when I heard a harsh, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


15 


grating noise. I looked in tlie direction whence it 
came, and saw a tall white-bearded old man enter the 
iron gate of the Yellow Manse. His presence, I as- 
sure you, filled me with conflicting thoughts. What 
purpose had brought this man at so late an hour to 
that mansion? I am living in this vicinity over 
thirty years, and never did I behold such a strange 
visitor around the premises.” 

“ Father, was it the appearance of the caller that 
interested you?” 

“ Aye, George, exactly, and you know the house ? ” 
“ No, sir ; I understand absolutely nothing of the 
place. Is it not deserted ? ” 

“ Why, by no means, good friend, it is much alive 
within ; but, of course, as you see without, it appears 
lonely enough. A large family lives there.” 

“ What, a family ! This is certainly news to me. 
I was under the impression that it was long unoc- 
cupied ; and who are the members of it ? ” 

“ The father of the household, I believe, is dead, 
although I cannot say positively that such is the case, 
for I have no reason in asserting this, other than, 
no mankind has ever been seen there.” 

“ Perhaps the old man is the parent,” rejoined the 
curate. “ Who else constitutes the family ? ” 

“ The mistress is a French lady of royal blood.” 

“ A French lady of royal blood ! So I understand 
that fair France is represented in this city, nay, even 
in our own parish ? I beg you to introduce me, that 
I may have an interview with her.” 


16 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ An interview ! Why, George she is as much a 
stranger to me as she is to you.” 

“ A stranger ! Is she not a Catholic ? ” 

“ WTty, my child, everyone within the limits of our 
parish is not a member of our Church.” 

“ But, Father, I do not grasp your meaning. A 
French lady, and of kingly blood, and not a Catholic ! 
Hump ! a Protestant ! that surely cannot be.” 

“ Think you, my son, that there are not French 
Protestants ? ” 

“No, sir; French and Protestants are contradic- 
torylterms. French people may be bad Catholics— 
some even become infidels — but they never turn 
Protestant. It is folly to consider aFrenchman the 
follower of sects. He is at least always true to his 
convictions. He never protests against the truth, and 
you know that Protestants aTe always protesting. 
No, no ; Frenchmen are Catholics or infidels, and they 
are logical in this sense indeed.” 

Father Delon expressed the sentiments he felt with 
impassioned eloquence. As he concluded, the pastor 
remarked : “ Be they Protestant or infidel, I am not 
prepared to say, but I can vouch that a more beauti- 
ful and better bred group of children, it has not often 
been my good fortune to come in contact with, than 
those that reside in the shadowy precincts of that 
mystical old Manse.” 

“ How many are there ? ” 

“ I have seen three, but I presume there are at 
least two others. One, alone, am I to any extent 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


17 


acquainted with — namely, Miss Angelina. The name, 
“ little angel,” expresses but little of the real worth 
of this estimable young lady.” 

“ How chanced you to meet her ? ” 

“ One morning about five years ago, I cannot now 
exactly recall how long, I was on my way to give the 
Holy Viaticum to a patient who, I was informed, was 
at the point of death. The weather was extremely 
cold, and I had just descended from the door-steps 
of the church, when I espied the young lady of 
whom I speak coming across the street, driving a fine 
horse attached to an elegant carriage. Driving nigh 
to the curb, she bade me enter. This I did, not dar- 
ing to speak in presence of my God. Understanding 
her mission, the young girl drove rapidly to the sub- 
urbs, where she halted before a low thatched hut. 
Having alighted, she opened the carriage, and mo- 
tioned me to enter. Here I found the poor wasted 
form of an intelligent-looking old man, who had 
apparently seen better days. Sister Marguerite, who 
was attending him, suddenly withdrew as I ap- 
proached the bedside to prepare him for another and 
better world. After I had done all in my power to 
relieve the sufferer, I called Sister Marguerite and 
Miss Angelina into the room. The patient was semi- 
conscious. He glanced alternately at the faces of 
the nun and the young lady, both of whose eyes 
were suffused with tears. He wished to say some- 
thing, but his tongue only uttered a few incoherent 
words, which made the women turn deadly pale. I 


18 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


have attended the death-bed of hundreds during my 
mission as a priest, but I assure you, that I never saw 
such agony depicted in the glances of a dying mortal, 
as he stared in the eyes of Sister Marguerite and 
Miss Angelina. After a little while, his breathing 
became shorter, until with one motion of his glassy 
eyes, and one lisp of his parched tongue, he gasped 
out : ‘ Murder, robbery, divorce and infidelity,’ and 
falling back on his pillow with a heavy moan, he was 
a corpse. I had been completely unnerved by the 
tale he told in those four last words, and sick at 
heart, I made my way to the door. The young lady 
followed. I jumped into the coach, and was driven 
rapidly to the rectory. Here we stopped, and with- 
out even thanking the lady who had been so kind to 
me, I sought refuge from the agonizing sight that 
I had witnessed, in sudden flight to my room. Fall- 
ing upon my couch, I heard the rumble of the 
vehicle die away, and then I thought — too late — to ask 
something of the strange death of the old man. This is 
in brief my acquaintance with the lady of the Manse.” 

“ Did you never see her again ?” inquired the curate, 
who had listened to the strange episode with pro- 
nounced attention. 

“ Yes ; but I never had an opportunity to converse 
with her. The occasional glimpse I caught of her 
afterward was when I passed by the mansion, when 
she would smile mournfully, and then I began to 
consider that something mysterious might have sur- 
rounded the old man’s death,” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


19 


“ Could not Sister Marguerite enlighten you upon 
it?” 

“ Alas ! the poor Sister was from that day heart- 
broken. I learned that after I had left the hut, ten 
strange-looking red man, disguised as Turks, forced 
their way in, and seizing the body, bore it away, 
leaving the terror-stricken Sister behind. The nun 
informed me that the young lady did not return to 
the hut after she had left me at the parsonage. Sis- 
ter Marguerite made her way sorrowfully homeward, 
and to this day, 1 have not been able to obtain a com- 
plete story of the whole sad affair. I know that the 
young lady is closely watched in the Yellow Manse, 
and not permitted to leave it on any consideration.” 

“ She is a prisoner then, Father Rogers.” 

“ Exactly, poor creature ; and with her the death 
of the poor old soldier is alone cleared up.” 

“ He was a soldier;, and of what country? ” 

“ France, I should judge from his accent, and the 
4 Fleur de lis ’ upon his worn and tattered coat.” 

“Ah ! this is no trifling case ; the actors in it are no 
common players. Father Rogers, our duties com- 
mand that we inquire rigorously into the welfare of 
our flock. The people of the Manse need spiritual 
consolation.” 

“ But, young man, remember they are Protestants.” 

“ French and Protestant, and the blood of that fair 
Catholic country tingling in their veins ! Never ! ” 
was the fitting climax that ended the conversation of 
the young Frenchman. At the conclusion of these 


20 


THE UNCROWNED PKINCE ; OK, 


stirring remarks, the pastor proceeded : “ This is 

an insolvable mystery, too deep and dark for us to 
fathom. I know the interest that has taken hold of 
you, Father Delon. There is a wide scope upon 
which you can work, while I can only suggest what 
you are to do for the present.” 

“ Insolvable mystery ! Why say that, and be so 
sanguine? Consider that I am a Frenchman, and 
both of us are priests.” 

This remark struck deep in the pastor’s breast, as 
the curate continued : “I am perfectly acquainted 
with the manners of my countrymen, and I hope by 
your assistance and counsel to make an inroad into 
that palace and unearth the dark secrets that lie 
hidden there.” 

The heavens were by this time crimson with the 
chain of lightning that incessantly streaked the great 
black clouds which floated through the lofty space 
like storm-tossed ships upon unknown seas. The 
thunder echoed and re-echoed over the great city. 
There was no stop to the downpour of rain. It fairly 
descended in floods at every shock of thunder. Ter- 
ror had seized the hearts of many sleepless and nerv- 
ous creatures. One by one, the windows of the large 
frowning-like flats opened. By the flickering glare 
of the lamps within, and the flashes of the lightning 
without, could be seen the fear-stricken inhabi- 
tants. The rage of the elements did not disturb the 
serenity of the clergymen so much as the pale star- 
light that glistened through the tall trees opposite. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 21 

Father Delon was all absorbed in the strange case, 
with which he believed he must contend. He thought 
he had a clue. “ You say that you do not remember 
the name of the patient ; but why is the lady called 
Miss Angelina? ” 

“ That is presumably her first name.” 

“ Is she the daughter of Omar ? ” 

“ I cannot answer that.” 

“ W as it she that summoned you to attend the old 
soldier? ” 

“No, child ; the call came through the telephone. 
It was an unusual thing to ask for me in such a way, 
and the more I am questioned concerning that death- 
bed, the more confounded I become. Yet, how -well 
the events of that night still cling to my memory ! I 
was sleeping in the room off the hall when the tele- 
phone bell rang. I asked who called, in the usual 
manner of address. There was no response. I 
asked again, and listened attentively, and then I heard 
a low, muffled tone saying : ‘ Bring the last rites 
of the Church to a dying man ; the lady at the door 
will direct your way.’ The voice, now I recollect, 
was unnatural ; it sounded like that stifled utterance 
which might have issued from a person entombed 
alive. It struck me forcibly queer at the time, but 
being awakened suddenly from sleep, I attributed the 
strange sensation that the voice had on me to my 
drowsiness. It now takes a far different aspect in 
my imagination. I see the lips of the dying soldier 
strive to lay bare a secret that he alone could unfold. 


22 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


The Mystery darkens at his demise, aye, perhaps dies 
with him ; his body being snatched away when life 
was hardly extinct ; and the prisoner shut up in the 
mansion palpably manifests something mysterious. 
Ha ! ha ! while Miss Angelina lives she must know 
the sad story that died untold on his lips. Greater 
darkness lowers on that family by the soldier’s death. 
We must search the secret of the dying man to the 
end. George, there is a mystery here, how dark and 
horrible we know not, and yet we must fathom it.” 

“ I will leave you, Father, to collect your thoughts,” 
said the curate. He would have departed had not 
the pastor grasped him by the arm. “ Go not yet 
awhile. My brain is clouded ; yours is still clear. 
Night and day, George, for five long years, I have 
watched the mansion for some sequel that would 
banish the thoughts that have made my hair white. 
This watching you only must know. I kept my 
trouble from you till this day, when, seeing the 
mournful predicament in which that letter had placed 
you, I resolved to tell you all my suspicions of the 
strange house yonder.” 

“But have you not learned more of the Yellow 
Manse' than you have thus far imparted to me ? ” 
inquired the Frenchman. 

“ Father Delon, you are quick to conceive a plan to 
straighten out matters, yet I would not take you into 
confidence save for the dignity you bear. I was loath 
to ever breath to mortal that I mistrusted the man- 
sion. Perhaps, after all, I have done wrong in sus- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 23 

pecting that crime has been enacted there ; and if my 
suspicions were made known and found to be untrue, 
how could I ever repair the scandal which would neces- 
sarily fall upon that household and priest in general. 
I have been a victim of the keenest scruples that ever 
tried a human being ; scandal rang in my ears, as I 
accused some one, I don’t know whom, of treachery ; 
and as you have been a witness of the awful scenes 
that have so long haunted me, it is now incumbent 
upon you to assist me. Teach me how to act in order 
to avoid scandal, if possible, and at the same time to 
draw aside the dark veil and bring the secrets of that 
house to light.” 

“ Since, then, Father, you deem it advisible to look 
into this matter more diligently, and since you con- 
sider that I may be able to see something that has, per- 
chance, escaped your notice, we might as well proceed 
to formulate our line of action. Am I to understand 
that you never gained admission to the Manse ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Did you ever make an attempt at so doing? ” 

“No; I had no particular reason, consequently I 
deemed it the best policy to stay away. Curiosity, 
assuredly, incited me frequently to make an essay of 
some kind. I laid it aside, however, and awaited an 
opportunity that has never presented itself.” 

“ It is not too late ; it may be afforded this night.” 

“ Impossible ! impossible ! The storm is so violent 
that no one dares to venture out at this treacherous 
time.” 


24 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Father, the wind and the rain are the best covers 
under which to conceal ourselves. We can so dis- 
guise our dress as to represent to that family that 
we are poor pilgrims seeking shelter from the tem- 
pest. 

“Having once obtained admission within those 
walls, we shall no doubt ascertain much in the way of 
clearing up the wonderful tale connected with that 
house. There is still more that I would hear from 
you.” 

“Ask,” repeated the rector, wishing to tell all he 
might know. “ My head is filled with many confus- 
ing things, and if you probe it by a few questions, 
some light may be thrown on the subject.” 

“ What made the appearance of the old man at the 
gate startle you ? ” 

“ His visage was so unearthly.” 

“ Perhaps it was the same person that sent the 
telephone message ? ” 

“ Indeed, my boy, likely enough ; I had not thought 
of that.” 

“ What else ? ” 

“ A long-drawn-out ghastly face, partly concealed 
by a wealth of beard whiter than my hair. His body 
was tightly wrapped in a great scarlet cloak, while 
upon his snow-white head sat a little white turban. 
Each night since Thursday he showed himself at the 
gate, except on Sunday, when it rained. In one of his 
long sinewy hands he carried a large book, and the 
strange letters of gold that glittered in the light of 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 25 

the lamp-post showed that it was written in Arabic 
characters.” 

“ The Koran, Father Bogers, and that house is a 
den of Turks ! ” 

“ How do you come to that conclusion ? ” 

“ Where else could the red men have come from to 
steal the body of the old soldier from the rude cabin? ” 

“Not unlikely, my boy ; you have put a queer but 
plausible construction on my words. ” 

“ Then to-night is not favorable to meet the 
prophet.” 

“ Why address him by that title, George ? ” 

“Well, I have judged by the cloak, the head-gear, 
and the book which you have described, that this is 
his proper appellation among his tribe.” 

“ If you surmise that I be correct, George, he is 
a prophet of evil, for never did such an ugly-looking 
being foretell good tidings.” 

“ Father, have you any basis for such an asser- 
tion?” 

“ My friend, the tales that I could tell would pet- 
rify your very flesh and bones, lock your jaws so fast 
that no power could part them, and change your life- 
blood into water clear as crystal ; in truth, the witches 
of Macbeth are surpassed. Look ! Look ! Behold 
the window, if you would dare see the truth of which 
I speak.” 

The curate revolved mechanically in his chair 
toward the placed pointed out by the pastor. The 
muscles of the young priest became swollen and 


26 the uncrowned prince ; or, 

rigid. A shock made his body sway to and fro for an 
instant, then he appeared as one nailed to the floor. 
What a scene was pictured before him ! Heads of men 
with bloody visages and seared eye-balls jumped up 
and down upon blazing spits, while their bodies were 
buried in blue and crimson flames that darted from 
a cauldron of burning bones, over which the fiend- 
like monsters kept pouring a sickly-looking broth. 
There appeared to issue no stench, but out of these 
horrifying kettles came hollow, pitiful moans, as if 
they arose from hells of merciless fire. Limbs of 
human beings were drying upon lines of gold that 
were suspended from the ceiling. Upon the ankles 
and wrists were bands of gold, ornamented with prec- 
ious stones, that gave forth a dazzling brightness. 
The walls of the interior of the room were hand- 
somely decorated with paintings of the choicest art. 
Statues of every form and shape — some of a sweet and 
angelic expression, others of that indescribable de- 
moniacal aspect ; all however, showing the exquisite 
skill of the artist — were strewn about the floor of pol- 
ished brass. The ceiling was one whole mirror in 
which the whole aspect was reflected. A low, deep 
resounding tone of an organ, concealed by a velvet 
curtain, accompanied the sound of a voice that was 
harsh and discordant. As soon as the song of the 
dead was ended, the light that cast its brilliancy 
around the room was suddenly extinguished. The 
young curate fell exhausted into the arms of the. pas- 
tor, who stood close by, watching his every action. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


27 


What a strange picture the young assistant had just 
witnessed ! Like him who has been suddenly stricken 
by apoplexy or some grievous ailment of a like nat- 
ure, Father Delon lay almost lifeless in the arms of 
his dear old friend. His body was as lifeless as that 
of a statue, save that his black eyes glistened with fire, 
while a sullen sneer played upon his thin lips and 
darkened his beautiful face. Father Eogers raised 
him from a half-reclining position to a standing post- 
ure. His eyes kept rolling in the direction of the mys- 
terious window. The old priest tried in vain to place 
him in one of the chairs, but the charm refused to be 
broken. Through the star-formed window, he saw 
an altar descend from the floor above, and up through 
a brazen hatchway ascended ten red men dressed in 
scarlet, each wearing a small red turban on his cocoa- 
nut-shaped head. Upon the altar sat a chieftain of 
an ugly red color. His jaws hung loosely from an 
extraordinarily large head, upon which was cocked 
jauntily, a small white turban. A mouth long and 
wide, filled with broken teeth, and eyes small and red — 
these were all that distinguished the ugliest man he 
had ever seen from being put in the same category 
with those animals who by their vulgarity of expres- 
sion have been misnamed monkeys. No beard or 
hair adorned his crown. Falling prostrate before him, 
the red men shouted at the top of their voices, “ Allah 1 
Allah ! God is God, and Mahomet is His prophet.” 
While they prayed, the deity went through all the 
terrible contortions that the human form is capable of 


28 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


undergoing. His face performed the most frightful 
grimaces. Satan himself could scarcely have imitated 
them, as he sniffed for the first time the hell-fire be- 
neath the burning coals, when he was plunged from the 
high battlements of heaven into unquenchable torments. 
His body was of an execrable shape. Like a scorpion, 
it twisted and writhed until it seemed to be nothing 
else than a screw. All the while the red men kept 
calling out to their God : “ Allah ! Allah ! ” Some be- 
gan to incense him, and the curate seeing the abomina- 
ble act of idolatry about to be carried out, cried out 
at the top of his voice : “ Cursed be Mahomet, the 

wicked unbeliever! ” Immediately the spell was 
broken ; and though the curate glanced at the window 
scrutinizingly, the charm refused longer to act upon 
him. When he had recovered from the effects of that 
awful sight, he looked again in the direction of the 
Manse, but could see nothing except the rain dashing 
against the window of the old rectory. Father Rogers 
soon after had dropped into a nap. The scene in the 
triangular window had completely unnerved him. The 
storm appeared to have somewhat subsided, but the 
interval was of brief duration. Soon again the fierce- 
ness of the elements broke loose. The glare of the 
lightning illuminated the streets ; the roar of the 
thunder and the howling of the wind sounded like 
the death-knell of some mighty battery. The street 
cars, during the few minutes that the storm promised 
to abate, recommenced their traffic. The storm had 
caused a blockade, and as quickly as it showed 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


29 


any signs of breaking, one after the other, more cars 
went rushing by to their destination. The rattling of 
their machinery, and the sparks that flew from the 
horses’ hoofs, caused such an uproar that their gongs 
could not be heard. While all Nature was in an up- 
heaval, a blue flame fell from the heavens, a clap of 
thunder followed the next moment, and a startled cry 
of alarm awoke the priests from their mournful rev- 
erie. “ Stop, stop, O God ! my God, mother, God ! ” 
These terrible heart-rending words rang the very souls 
of the clergymen, as they ran out in the direction 
whence the noise proceeded. Here a ghastly specta- 
cle met their gaze. An elderly woman lay crushed 
beneath the cruel iron wheels of a heavy car. She 
was not dead, but the first glance at her mangled form 
told plainly that her life was fast ebbing away. At 
some distance lay a young lady stretched in a pool 
of muddy water. The priests realized at once the ser- 
ious results of the accident. Father Rogers grasped 
the girl in his strong, sturdy arms and carried her to 
the church steps, where he gently laid her, and tried 
various means to bring her to consciousness. Mean- 
while Father Delon worked with that determined 
energy which a dreadful circumstance alone excites, 
in assisting the car hands to release the unfortunate 
woman from the weight that held her down. By their 
renewed and united efforts the car was finally raised, 
and the lady, frightfully mangled about the limbs, was 
taken out from under the wheels. Her dress, slightly 
torn at the throat, revealed the scapulars ; and Father 


30 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

Delon, seeing that his services were needed, heard the 
dying woman’s confession. Leaving her side for a 
moment, he went to the sacristy and brought the 
Blessed Sacrament to the sufferer; soon after receiving 
her God she became unconscious. Father Delon knelt 
by her side, while a doctor, who had by this time 
arrived, was quickly engaged in bandaging up her 
wounds as best he could. After some restoratives had 
been given her, she began to revive. As soon as she 
ascertained how badly were the injuries she had re- 
ceived, she begged piteously in a low voice for a priest. 
It was some time, however, before Father Delon un- 
derstood her request, so weak was her voice. When 
he found out that she inquired for him, he courteously 
asked the doctor to stand aside. The physician, who 
had eyed the clergyman askance as he was saying 
the rosary near by, with an oath, refused to move* 
“ This is a friend of mine, you papist rascal, and I 
will stand by her until her life is at an end. If you 
want to work superstitious practices on her dead body, 
alright ; but stand back now — -you shall learn no 
secrets here.” The young priest, nothing awed, 
advanced a step closer, but the doctor gave him a blow 
that sent him reeling to one side. In the meantime 
the voice of the injured lady was growing weaker and 
weaker, yet with heart-breaking pleadings she still 
groaned audibly, “ A priest ! A priest ! ” “ Oh, you 

wretch ! ” were the last words she said, and she was a 
corpse. Four stalwart men, clad in long red robes, 
gently took hold of the body and hurried it over to 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


31 


the Manse. Meanwhile Father Rogers had brought 
the young lady to her senses.. She had apparently 
suffered no exterior bodily bruises, but her whole in- 
ner system received a severe shock. While the good 
priest was trying to calm her agitated soul, the doctor 
came briskly up and demanded charge of her, to which 
the rector readily assented. Both priests, completely 
overwhelmed with grief, repaired to the church, where, 
after breathing a fervent prayer for the poor de- 
parted soul, they betook themselves in silence to their 
respective apartments within the old rectory, trusting 
that the morning light would spread a ray of hope 
upon a mystery the night had made so dark. 


CHAPTER II. 

THE ABDUCTION. 

HE morning dawned brightly after the rain. 
The sun came out of the eastern sky reful- 
gent with splendor. The clouds that hung 
so tenaciously over the meadows yesterday, were 
slowly rising aloft, and there appeared a silvery spray, 
like mist, which shed a lovely radiance upon the 
merry riplets of the old river that went down laugh- 
ingly to the sea. Everything looked pleasant and 
clean after the storm. The rickety, tumbled-down 
tenements, thoroughly soaked by the rain, soon 
warmed up under the blazing sunshine, and for once 
at least appeared respectable. The laborers went to 



32 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


their weary toil with a refreshened step. There 
was a bright prospect for a cool and invigorating 
day, and this thought afforded them some comfort — 
especially those who were engaged in attending fires. 
Early the good Fathers of St. Mary’s were awake, and 
before the shop whistles sounded for the day’s labor 
to commence, they had finished saying their masses, 
which they offered up for the poor lady who had met 
such a f'righful death. No one heard of the accident 
except those who took part in extricating the unfor- 
tunate woman from under the wheels of the car. 
The employees were reticent ; the papers did not pub- 
lish a report of the death ; and the priests, who were 
so depressed by the circumstances, said nothing. 
They resolved to study all the details of the case as 
quietly as possible. Such an extraordinary occur- 
rence, however, is not easily kept in silence. Dame 
Rumor soon told the neigborhood that something 
unusual had occurred, and as the report spread, new 
incidents were added to it, till it increased the interest 
of the public a hundred-fold. Father Rogers having 
said his Mass in the chapel of the convent, made 
known the death of the lady of the Manse to Sister 
Marguerite, the superioress. Father Rogers valued 
the experience of this good Sister so highly that he 
consulted her upon important topics where prudence 
was a necessary factor . He followed her counsel very 
often, and seldom or never did it fail to be productive 
of wisdom. She was a good-hearted soul, some years 
past forty. She had been a leading society belle in 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


33 


Paris, bnfc seeing the folly of human vanity, left the 
whirl of the social board, and at the age of eighteen 
joined the Carmelite nuns. When Marat, Danton, 
and Robespierre and their nefarious followers at- 
tacked their convent, she, with a few others, made 
her escape. 

Having joined the Sisters of Charity later on, she 
went back to her native city — Paris — where she admin- 
istered to the wants of the wretched in the hospitals. 
While thus acting the part of a tender nurse, caring 
for the poor afflicted soldiers who had contracted the 
small pox, which was then prevalent in the city, she 
caught the dread disease. Her frail young frame 
could not withstand a great deal, and she was soon 
reduced to the last extremity. She, however, trusted 
in the ever strong hand of God ; she supplicated Him 
to spare her ; and gradually the disease left her, and 
she became more vigorous and robust than ever. 
The traces of the dread plague remained, and con- 
siderably blurred her once beautiful countenance. 
When she was sufficiently well to travel, she was sent 
to England to recuperate. Having recovered com- 
pletely, when the war with Russia broke out she 
departed with a detachment of French troops to the 
siege of Moscow, where she gained admiration from 
friend and foe for valor and kindness in attending 
the wounded. Was it to be wondered at that Sister 
Margueritehad been a constant adviser to the old 
pastor ? Her checkered and brilliant career eminent- 
ly fitted her to counsel a king, if need be. But Sister 


34 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

Marguerite was an humble soul who had left all to 
follow in the footsteps of her Master, and she sought 
no worldly esteem for her knowledge and experience. 
She was not of an inquisitive nature, but when Father 
Eogers commenced to give an account of the sad 
accident, she listened with wrapt attention to every 
word he said. He had not concluded when the con- 
vent bell rang for silence, and their conversation was 
at an end. The pastor repaired to his morning re- 
past, to have a chat with his black-haired assistant. 
Once seated at the breakfast table, the Mystery of the 
Yellow Manse was the chief topic. 

“ So you inform me that the lady killed is not the 
wife of Omar ? and who, indeed, may I ask, is this 
Miss Angelina ? ” 

“ Daughter of the dead woman, whose name I had 
not time to learn when the rude doctor approached 
and bade me go.” 

“ I see, Father Eogers, that Miss Angelina must 
hold the secret of the family of the Manse. Who is 
the doctor ? ” 

“ I presume another burly character who is playing 
a card in the case.” 

“ I am glad that he did not arrive till I had done all 
I could for the spiritual welfare of the lady. He was 
madly nettled when she called me for a second time. 
Oh, how happy would I be, if she had narrated the story 
that was on her lips. I felt the same overpowering 
sensation that you did when the dying soldier lisped 
those words that have made your life so dreary.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


35 


“ Perchance they were man and wife.” 

“ Possibly. I had not considered that connection.” 

“ Sister Marguerite insists, however, that the lady 
is Madam Omar.” 

“ Does she know of the accident ? ” 

“ Yes, I told her about it ; but before I had ended, 
she said that she had got an inkling of it elsewhere. 
You are aware that Sister Marguerite is of French 
extraction.” 

“ Is that really so ? I was not aware of it.” 

“ Well, Father Delon, Sister keeps her secrets from 
all. It is only lately (and accidentally) that I learned 
that she was born in Paris.” 

“ A Parisian. Well, I will soon begin to know my 
neighbors.” 

“ My friend, you shall not admit such knowledge 
in conversation with her.” 

“ No, — certainly not ; she may give us some news 
that may touch upon this mysterious case.” 

A knock resounded on the door, and the tall, stately 
form of Sister Marguerite entered, accompanied by 
her religious companion. “ Father Rogers, our con- 
versation was unfortunately left unfinished in the 
convent, and I am so interested in the distressing 
accident that I will be ill at ease till I have learned 
all you have to say concerning it.” 

“ Well, Sister, the account is complete ; as far as I 
know Perhaps Father Delon can enlighten you a 
little further.” 

Turning to the curate, he nodded to him, which 


36 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


signified that he was to declare all, and at the same 
time to ascertain any little information that the nun 
might have heard concerning the Omar family. Sis- 
ter Marguerite bowed politely, which the latter ac- 
knowledged gracefully. The assistant narrated all 
the incidents of the accident as accurately as pos- 
sible, touching lightly on the mysterious, now and 
then, and when he concluded somewhat abruptly, 
she asked, with an apology, if he remembered aught 
else which he had not repeated to her. When he hes- 
itated, she did not urge him, but meekly continued : 
“Father, my question was born of excitement and 
curiosity to find out all about the strange happen- 
ing. The house, the people, the accident, have struck 
me so peculiarly, that I will never rest until I have 
acquired all — yes, all. There is something difficult 
attached to all the proceedings that have been 
transacted of late in the Yellow Manse. A mystery is 
concealed within its dark walls — and one not easily 
solved.” The tall form of the Sister rose, as if to 
express with emphasis, her concluding remarks. 
The manner in which the above sentences were deliv- 
ered excited the old priest to join in the conversation. 

“Sister Marguerite, you seem to be especially 
eager to]learn something of this family in the Manse. 
Now that we have told you all we know of them, can 
you not add to our information ? ” 

“ I will confess all that I am at liberty to make 
known.” 

“ Oh, you are free to tell all, are you not? ” 


THE MYSTEKY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 37 

A crimson flush came over the Sister’s face. The 
ravages of the disease evinced themselves once more 
by showing white spots tinted with pink on her 
cheeks. The voice of the Sister quivered with emo- 
tion, as she startled her hearers by saying : “ Fathers, 
I, too, am in possession of a secret as well as yon.” 

“ This being the case, ejaculated the curate, we do 
not wish you to manifest anything that you have 
promised to keep secret ; but if you can render any 
aid that will be of assistance to us in the present 
instance, without violating any duty, we would be 
greatly pleased to hear it.” These remarks spoken 
as they were, nonchalantly, had the effect of soothing 
the troubled soul of the nun and of gaining the de- 
sired information. 

“ Father Rogers, do you remember five years ago, 
on a stormy night, I awoke you to attend a dying 
soldier.” 

The features of the curate became radiant with 
hope, while those of the pastor grew more thoughtful. 
The rector did not answer the question, and the Sis- 
ter proceeded. 

“You do not call to mind, yet you should recollect 
some of the circumstances. About midnight five 
years ago, I was aroused from my slumbers by the 
pitiful cries of a young lady outside of my convent 
window. I dressed quickly, and going to her, asked 
the cause of her weeping. She told me that an old 
man was dying some distance away, and begged me to 
accompany her, as he had expressed a desire to see 


38 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


me. I obtained permission to go, and with my com- 
panion, was soon standing by the bedside of the 
patient. Father, there you found me, by what means, 
I forget, and lucky you made your appearance, as the 
poor soul was sinking rapidly, and I was so dis- 
tracted that I forgot to send for you. Father, may 
I ask who summoned you ? ” 

“ Sister, the call came over the telephone ; and when 
I descended the church steps I saw Miss Angelina 
from the Manse. She awaited me with a coach, in 
which she drove me to the sick room.” 

“ Miss Angelina ! Who is that lady ? ” 

“ One question, Sister. Don’t you remember 
something of that dispatch ? ” 

“ Yes, yes ; I now recall to mind ; it was I that sent 
you the message, but — but — I am so confused I hardly 
know what I am saying, but — I sent the message.” 

“ Impossible, Sister ! ” 

“ Oh ! you do not understand about the voice. It 
frightened you.” 

“ Yes, I confess that I was startled ; yet it was not 
by the sound of your voice — the tone was so queer, 
so unearthly. It was not your voice ; it came from 
no mortal lips.’ 

A sweet though sad smile broke over the face of 
the Sister. “ Ha ! I deceived you ; that is what I 
intended to do. I had learned to mimic the Turks 
wailing over the soldiers who had been killed by the 
French at the siege of Moscow. My tutor (for whom 
I cared when seriously wounded on the battle-field) 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 39 

was one of the princes of the Arabic or Turkish 
dynasty.” 

“ A plausible explanation ! A capital deceit ! I 
had been well-nigh convinced that a being of another 
world had sent me word.” 

The accustomed genial smile lit up the full round 
face of the pastor. The handsome countenance of 
the curate was also wreathed in happy smiles as he 
heard the message explained. 

“Sister, may I inquire what was the reason you 
had in attempting to conceal your presence when I 
approached the bedside of the old soldier ? ” 

“ Oh ! nothing, Father.” 

“ Yes ; there must have been. Why have you con- 
cealed the things that were told to you that night? ” 

“ Because there was a secret between that man and 
me.” 

“ That is the reason why you refused to talk of the 
night’s strange occurrence ? ” 

“ A sufficient cause. That old soldier was none 
other than my poor father. ” 

The large blue eyes of the rector opened still 
wider as this piece of news was imparted to him. 
In the brown sparkling eyes of the nun gleamed large 
tears, which she brushed away with a handkerchief 
which she had kept hid underneath her girdle. Then 
amidst uncontrollable sobs, she burst forth : “Ah! 
there lingers over my father’s head a dark, unfathom- 
able tale in which I think the mansion across the 
way shares.” The black eyes of the curate rolled 


40 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


wildly as this piece of information was gleaned from 
the nun, and he tossed his head to and fro in an 
agitated manner. 

“ I have told you everything that I care to speak for 
the present. Perhaps sometime (and perhaps never) 
I will unfold to you more. Liberty is a glorious 
blessing, but how few appreciate it till they are 
deprived of it ! ” 

When she had thus spoken, she and her companion 
went quickly from the room, and before the priest 
could again interrogate her, she had gone to the church, 
there to seek that consolation “ which the world cannot 
give ” to afflicted souls. The clergymen had obtained 
a clue to their investigations ; but they were now 
aware, in truth, how deep the Mystery was — far dark- 
er than they had imagined. How t could one who had 
been so long engaged in the duties of the convent be 
so entangled in a net of such inextricable meshes ? 
She was only the key to some strange happening that 
had been confided to her and not directly connected 
with the case. However, her friends played a strong 
part in the drama that was being enacted. They 
had their offices to say, and many other duties to per- 
form, which the world knows nothing about. While 
on their mission in the parish, they learned that the 
news had spread throughout the city concerning the 
accident w T hick had happened to the lady of the Manse. 
All day long curious crowds gathered around the ro- 
mantic house, and in groups of twos and threes talked 
of everything relating to it. Some declared that 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 41 

the place was haunted ; others maintained that there 
lived within the ivy -covered walls a royal family who 
had fallen by degrees to the lowest grade of society. 
Everybody chattered, and nobody knew who or what 
were the people that resided there. The old Manse, 
with a lofty tower pointing into the air, raised 
itself above the curb on a knoll of grass that grew 
in untrimmed luxuriance round about it. It stood 
at a considerable distance from the road, and was pro- 
tected from the too anxious sightseer by the pennant- 
like leaves of the willow and the wide, extending bran- 
ches of the elm, maple, and chestnut. Four stories 
of polished yellow brick were partly hidden by ivy 
and creeping vines, which were slowly mouldering 
away for want of care. The architectural plan was 
unique. The roof beneath the high tower was sharp- 
sloping, of the French style, but considerably more 
arched. The main body of the building presented a 
series of crooks and corners which, though they 
could not be said to add to the beauty of the house, 
gave to it an air of peculiar romance. The large iron 
gate at the entrance to the lawns was closed, forbidd- 
ing an entrance to the curious. The house looked as 
deserted now as it ever had done before. The large 
double oaken doors were tightly shut at the entrance, 
while long, narrow shutters barred up the windows. 
The conversation did not diminish to any extent, and 
when it appeared to be on the wane for an instant, a 
new gossiper arrived and filled their credulous ears 
with a stranger tale than had hitherto been told, and 


42 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

thus the day went by, the crowd increasing toward 
evening. All were interested ; but assuredly there 
were others who did not congregate around the house, 
who were infinitely more taken up in what was being 
done within that strange Manse than all those that 
stood without. All day long a tinge of sadness over- 
shadowed the features of Sister Marguerite, which she 
tried in vain to hide from her other Sisters. They 
noticed her dejected look, and by their words of 
sympathy endeavored to cheer her. Every one of the 
nuns in the convent loved the superioress dearly. 
She was a real mother to them, and more especially 
to the younger ones. The harmony of their sweet 
voices were hushed that evening in the precincts of 
the cloister. Nor was the parochial residence less 
silent. The priests were engaged in their ministerial 
labors until nearly nightfall. After supper had been 
partaken of in silence, Father Delon entered the 
little parlor at the invitation of the pastor, who pre- 
ceded him. The curate walked at once to the bay- 
window, out of which they had watched the wonderful 
sights the night previous. He felt within himself 
that nothing could control him except his own will, 
and he longed for another glimpse of the scenes, that 
he might study them more closely. The window 
shade, however, was drawn down tightly, and only the 
outside of the plain old-fashioned window in the 
Manse could be seen. When the pastor saw that the 
attention of the curate was fixed upon the Yellow' 
Manse, he surmised the train of his thoughts. 


43 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 

“ You do not often behold such scenes as those of 
which you were a spectator last night ? ” 

“ But are you so privileged, Father ? You know 
you made a mistake when you declared that the devil 
did not work on rainy nights.” 

“ Ha ! you are in a jolly mood,” and the rector 
laughed loudly, while the curate evidently wished to 
discuss the more serious side of the question. With- 
out the semblance of a smile on his placid face, he 
began : “ Father, I suppose Sister Marguerite put 
aside your belief in spirits to-day.” 

“ Yes, my child, to a great extent. She told us a 
deal on the subject, and if she would only confide all 
her knowledge to us, no doubt we would be much 
benefited all the way round. I am tired of pestering 
her to find the ins and outs of that eventful night, five 
years ago, and yet I obtained more from her to-day 
than I ever knew before. You are of her nationality, 
and consequently may understand a French woman’s 
ways better than I do ; hence to-morrow, George, let 
us hope by your tact that she will convey some reve- 
lation that may lead to the discovery of your mystery, 
and that of the Yellow Manse.” 

The two friends ceased speaking. The Angelus 
just then resounded through {he lofty tower of St. 
Mary’s, and the weary day of the poor workmen was 
at an end. The same toiling masses of humanity 
surged by the door of the rectory, save that a face 
here and there was missing and had gone to see a 
brighter day. It is true that the healthy atmosphere 


44 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

worked wonders in their cnodition, but it must needs 
have performed miracles to support their lives, which 
were so unscrupulously being drawn out to an early 
close by the leaches of consolidation. The mighty 
dollar is ever the cry of the Monopoly and Trust. 
The laborer and his family must be trodden in the 
mire to raise aloft the full blown avaricious mammon 
hunter. The sun had now run his course, and the 
western horizon slowly darkened as the rays of light 
gradually fell behind the mighty ocean, and were lost 
till the rising morn. The stars peeped out from be- 
hind the azure clouds that drifted into innumerable 
shapes of architectural grandeur, setting aglow with 
superb radiance the heavenly mansion that lofty souls 
look up to admire. Soon the modest moon came 
hovering above the old river, reflecting the sublimity 
of her sheen in the silvery tide. The meadows, lulled 
to and fro by the evening breeze, revelled in the 
sombre glory of the night. The beauteous beams of 
the moon, the countless stars and the silver-lined 
clouds glistened forth with their enchanting lights 
reflecting on the city. The houses, lighted by the 
lamps within, and enhanced by the glory that every- 
where shone forth, completed the clear and beautiful 
evening picture. It was a weird scene, full of beauty. 
Thus musing on the daily course that intervenes in 
the vicissitudes of Life and Nature, the two priests 
passed the evening until the hour for retirement. 
They had scarcely bade each other good-night when 
the door-bell rang imperiously. The curate an- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 45 

swered the call, but no sooner had he opened the 
door than he was laid low by a terrible blow that was 
delivered from behind by a short, rascally-looking 
fellow. There was a short scuffle, and before Father 
Rogers could interfere, the young curate was dragged 
down the rectory steps by two men, and hastily 
thrown into a covered wagon, which they drove rapid- 
ly away. The pastor stood astounded at the abduc- 
tion of his assistant, and at length, having recovered 
from the stupor which seized him, an alarm was use- 
less. Instantly he thought of what steps he should 
take in order to aid his beloved friend. He was in 
a dilemma at first, how to act. Would he notify the 
police, and have his esteemed friend brought per- 
haps into a scandal? This was the last resource. 
Suddenly an idea came to his mind. He would send 
for his friend, a clever young artist, who was as skill- 
ful in tracing the track of a villain as he was in draw- 
ing the outlines of a picture. He would confide the 
disappearance of the curate to the young man, hop- 
ing by his tact and indomitable energy and courage 
that he would safely return the young priest to the 
parochial residence. A messenger was quickly dis- 
patched to the residence of the artist. Breathlessly 
the young man made his appearance, as if he had 
surmised that some evil was rife. Louis James (for 
this was the artist’s name) was a perfectly built lad 
of twenty, with broad, shapely shoulders, and he was 
fully six feet tall. His face was very pleasant, and of 
that mild expression which is so frequently admired 


46 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


in children. He had a clear skin and finely cut 
features. His hair was raven, and fell in waves on 
his fair brow. A well shaped forehead overset a 
well formed nose and lips, while his cheeks were fair 
and plump. He was exactly the counterpart of Fa- 
ther Delon, though slightly more handsome. It was 
easy for Father Rogers to explain his business to the 
young man, and giving him his blessing, he sent him 
on his errand. No sleep closed the eyes of the faith- 
ful old rector as he thought of the possible fate that 
awaited his young assistant. He, however, relied a 
great deal on the sterling qualities of his friend, the 
artist, to bring about the safe return of his devoted 
curate. It was nevertheless a perilous undertaking, 
and he could not content himself until his two friends 
shared with him the same roof again in safety. No 
amount of persuasion could set his weary heart and 
head at rest that night. Day dawned as brightly as 
on the preceding morning. He made preparations 
as usual for his morning Mass, which was offered up 
in the church so as to afford the more pious of his 
flock an opportunity to attend. This portion of his 
sacred duty being ended — after making his thanks- 
giving, — the rector repaired to the breakfast table. 
He could eat nothing. After drinking a cup of coffee, 
he threw himself on the sofa, hoping against hope, to 
indulge in a little sleep to rest his fatigued body. 
All was in vain. Sister Marguerite called, and he 
would not have her depart without seeing him. 
“ Perhaps, he reflected, I may search the depths of 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 47 

the mystery through her, and find it not so deep as I 
anticipate. Ah ! if she would only tell all ! ” These 
were the thoughts of the priest as Jeremy Owens, 
his faithful servant, a second time announced the 
arrival of the Sisters. Quickly she was ushered into 
the presence of his “riverence,” as Jeremy insisted 
on calling his master. Father Rogers in all his deal- 
ings was surprisingly outspoken ; he kept nothing 
rankingly in his bosom, but what he had to .say came 
from his lips without much adieu. He considered 
that bluntness with the present hearer was a neces- 
sary factor. He estimated the nature of the Mys- 
tery, weighed every incident connected with it, and 
finally concluded with a recital of the forced depart- 
ure of the curate. He did not see at once the effect 
that the last detail had on the nun’s weak system ; 
and when he had spoken the last word, she was quite 
overcome from shock. When she had recovered from 
her surprise and terror, the true womanly nature that 
had sustained her in many a previous conflict showed 
itself. 

“ Nothing more ? ” 

“ No, Sister ; I think it is your time to instruct me.” 

The nun hesitated for a moment, but immediately 
began to speak with stern deliberation : 

“ I know the Yellow Manse contains a secret, but 
what it is I am unable to say. I am aware, too, that 
you were witness of the strange doings of that house, 
and I feel that I am justified in telling to you what 
I have kept secret from all. My family were of royal 


48 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


blood, related on my mother’s side to the martyred 
Louis the Sixteenth of France. When, at the close 
of the century, all that fair land was in a violent 
uproar, few families and few houses escaped total 
destruction. Our family, thanks to a merciful God, 
remained intact, except myself, who, at the massacre 
of the Carmelite nuns, whose order I joined, fled from 
the city. When quiet was again restored, I went back 
as a Sister of Charity, and served in the hospitals of 
Paris. My father being a general of renown, seeing 
that he could not attain any advantage to the descen- 
dants of Louis by remaining neutral, attached him- 
self to the fortunes of Napoleon, and fought with him 
at the battle of the Pyramids. During his absence, 
false tongues disseminated rumors in his ears against 
my mother ; and having returned from his protracted 
campaign, she noticed how cold and changed he was to 
her ; but she nevertheless bore up heroically under her 
severe trials. One loved the other as devotedly as 
man and woman ever loved. Their marriage was not 
the outcome of a whimsical fancy. They were born 
and brought up as playmates. They went to school to- 
gether, and their families were united by the strong- 
est bonds of friendship. But legions of devils pos- 
sessed men in those days when revolution shook the 
kingdom to its very centre. Husbands charged their 
wives with the most outrageous crimes, and wives 
made counter charges, even more revolting in their 
nature, against their husbands. Daughters declared 
for their mothers, while sons sided with their fa- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


49 


thers ; and thus families were divided by the bitterest 
quarrels. Total depravity spread throughout the 
once grand country, and crime was practiced in every 
despicable and abominable form. Royalty suffered 
most ; but when Bonaparte took the reins of govern- 
ment, his presence on the throne stopped the more 
flagrant and open abuses. However, bands of the 
most depraved wretches leagued together in secrecy, 
and put into execution the most ignoble and sicken- 
ing crimes upon society. In the meantime my fa- 
ther saw that he had made a serious mistake in treat- 
ing my mother with such cold indifference, and he 
learned a lesson after that to regard her as the angel of 
his house. Another child was born to them. Some 
time after I was summoned to attend the sick in the 
outlying districts of the city, and, alas ! what has 
occurred since to my dear family, I only know by 
remarks of my dying father. He lived happily, fol- 
lowing in the ranks of Napoleon till 1814-15, when the 
allies of united Europe (under Wellington and Blucher) 
invaded Paris. A detachment of that general’s army 
plundered and burned to the ground my father’s pal- 
ace, and he, wounded in defending my mother against 
the mob, would have been slaughtered in cold blood 
were it not for the prayers and tears of my baby 
sister.” 

“ Strange,” interrupted the pastor, filled with awe at 
what he had heard, “ that such a premeditated attack 
should have been made against your house. Whom 
do you think instigated it ? ” 


50 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ The secret organizations that my father fought 
against, with all the means in his power. He saw 
what ruin they had caused to his beloved country — 
how they swept aside the altars to give way for their 
debaucheries. Yes ; he was marked out for the 
slaughter, and a terrible tale hangs on those last 
words : ‘ Murder, robbery, divorce and infidelity.’ ” 
The mention of these opprobrious terms filled the 
soul of Sister Marguerite with ungovernable fear. 
She could not repeat them without a shudder, and 
this because she dreaded that perhaps her own dear 
folks were tainted with some or all of them. After a 
terrible pause, the superioress drew forth her hand- 
kerchief, and wiping away the remaining tears that 
continued to flow from her large brown eyes, she 
proceeded with her narrative : “ Robbery indeed 

would be a simple term to express the distress in 
which my poor father was found. He who possessed 
almost untold wealth was deprived of everything — 
even the roof that sheltered his poor corpse.” 

“ Sister, who were the red men that took away his 
body?” 

“ That I cannot tell. Oh, unhappy me, could I but 
find out the young lady that came for me that night ! ” 

“ Was she not the same that drove me to the cabin ? ” 

“ Yes ; but I never found out her name.” 

“ Why, that is Miss Angelina of the Manse.” 

“ Miss Angelina ; that name seems familiar. The 
name of my dear little sister. Oh ! where, alas ! is 
she to-day ? ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 51 

She wrung her hands wildly with grief, and between 
sobs went on : “ Is it possible to interview this lady. 
Father?” 

“ I think not, for the present.” 

“ Is then all the cause of my woe so near at hand, 
and yet I cannot find out the truth ? Oh, how terrible 
is the suspense.” The Sister’s head drooped low and 
her tear-stained face was hidden from view by her 
snow-white cap. Father Rogers did not appear to 
notice the altered position of the nun, and he re- 
newed his investigations. 

“ Sister, you have given a general account of 
all that befell your family, but you have been 
careful to avoid particulars. I know the reserve 
which you treasure so highly to prevent scandal, but 
facts must be had to make any substantial beginning 
to right the trouble of your people.” 

“ Father, many a day I contemplated what my 
dear parent might have revealed had he lived an 
hour longer, but his life and that of my dear mother’s 
and sister’s are summed up in one word, “ Mystery.” 
When I landed in America, it was my last thought to 
have ever seen the face of one of my dear ones again. 
I saw the face ; I heard the tale of * murder, robbery, 
divorce and infidelity ! ’ Question me still further, if 
you think that I can furnish you with anything that may 
serve to lift up the load that lies so heavily on my own 
loved ones, and that I may see them once again, whether 
it be in the land of the living, or if dead, I may behold 
their lives and honor unspotted by any stain of sin.” 


52 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“Your father doubtless was a victim of Freema- 
sonry.” 

“ Likely,” murmured the nun. “ But whence came 
those strange men ? ” 

“ From the Yellow Manse, where Miss Angelina 
dwells.” 

“ A girl in company with such villains. A pris- 
oner. Ah, that is precisely the fact. If we could 
rescue her, how great a weight would be lifted off our 
bosoms. She certainly can tell something of my 
father’s last illness ; she alone can reveal the mystery 
that enshrouds his death. May I never die until I 
learn the fate of my family ! ” 

This ended the discourse. The good Sisters pre- 
pared tb depart; Sister Marguerite half confused, 
half stupid at the examination she had undergone. 
She had hardly closed the door when an old man, 
neatly dressed, accosted her : “ Madam,” said he, “ may 
I ask what was your name in the world ? Sister Mar- 
guerite, completely taken by surprise in being con- 
fronted by such an audacious inquiry, raised her eyes 
with a startled looked, and recovering her self-posses- 
sion, calmly replied, “We cannot tell that, my friend.” 

“ Bon Jour, Madame,” was the curt retort, and the 
stranger disappeared as quickly as he had come. 
This meeting, strange through it was, did not discon- 
cert the Sister. Her thoughts recurred to sunny 
France, the happy home of her early days, and her 
afflicted family, wondering what had. become of them. 
Many fanciful and trying subjects racked her brain 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 53 

during tlie remainder of the day. The Sisters of the 
convent noticed that something wrong was working 
within her. They hesitated to ask her the cause of 
her sorrow, fearing that they would make her feel it 
more keenly. Father Eogers walked up and down 
the veranda with a long, sturdy pace. His mind was 
a blank to all but one consideration, namely, what 
had become of the curate ? He was ever of a medi- 
tative turn of mind, and he was never done thinking 
how he could best occupy himself for the welfare of 
those entrusted to him. How could he answer for 
the disappearance of Father Delon ? How could he 
deliver him from the hands of those wretches who 
had assaulted and stolen him away ? “ George must 

be found to-night and brought back,” said he, softly. 
“ Oh, great God ! what if he were brought back 
dead ! ” He shuddered at the mishaps that might 
befall his young assistant. “ And yet if he were killed, 
I would have to hold myself responsible to the civil 
authorities for not informing them. The Mystery 
of the Yellow Manse should come to light, but, oh ! 
the scandal.” The old priest managed at length to 
shirk the revery that was preying upon him, and he 
set about to perform his clerical duties with an air of 
devotion, even though at times his thoughts reverted 
from them. Occasionally he raised his heart aloft 
and breathed an anthem of sweetest prayer for his 
absent friend. Across the road near the solemn old 
Manse, there still lingered groups of gossipers. The 
shade of the trees, rich in foliage, that surrounded 


54 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


the building, afforded a pleasant retreat for those who 
had nothing else to do but to keep cool. The sun 
shone as brightly as if nothing was amiss in the 
world. The clouds, tinged by the rays of the golden 
sun, shone in the mirror-like waters of the old river, 
which rolled out its ruffled contents into the bay. 
The meadows, fresh and green, gave forth a fragrance 
that instilled new life into the mowers who had laid 
their scythes away to rest. The cries of the children 
in the tall tenements never ceased, but kept going 
with ever increasing variance. The dissonance could 
not have been more disagreeable, except perhaps the 
yells and croaking of the street urchins who paraded 
their tin-can company very unceremoniously through 
the hallways that they found conveniently open, 
kicking over everything that impeded their march. 
Thus the day passed on, and the harsh whistles of 
the shops turned loose the same broken-down masses 
of humanity that the rector was wont to view through 
all the seasons of the year. The mists of night, like 
great curtains, dropped slowly over the city’s great 
tenements, and soon the weary laborers within were 
ushered into the land of repose. Father Rogers was 
still awake in the parlor, waiting patiently for the 
return of the artist or the priest. The night was far 
spent, and yet there was no sign of either ap- 
proaching. The old priest could no longer resist the 
powers of sleep, and his head nodded slowly but irre- 
sistibly on his bosom in repose. How long he was 
in that state he did not know, when he was violently 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


55 


awakened by a stranger who struck him with clinched 
fist. Jumping up in consternation, and dazed with 
sleep, unconscious of what had happened, Father 
Rogers thought himself the victim of the night-mare, 
and staggered across the room and fell heavily. He 
had hardly recovered, when the stranger, drawing a 
pistol from his back pocket, walked deliberately over 
to where the old man lay, and prepared his weapon 
for use. The face of the stranger was ugly in the ex- 
treme. His large crooked teeth protruded from out 
a large mouth. His hair was of a dull red color, and 
a beard of several weeks’ growth concealed a square- 
formed jaw. When he had inserted a bullet into the 
barrel of his revolver and made it ready for use, he 
smiled sarcastically at the outstretched form of the 
rector. 

“ Ha ! ha ! I have you now in my power,” and again 
laughing aloud, he continued, harshly : “ I’ll blow a 

hole through your secretive head, and then I’ll be sure 
that the secret shall not out. This is he whom I 
have been after many a day. I’ll let the young bird 
fly from his cage as soon as the old one is trapped.” 
A second time he began to make ready his aim. 
“ You have the secret, priest ; I have it, too ; I alone 
must keep it. It is too precious to give away, and I 
am not certain that you will keep it safe. Did you 
move, papist ? ” This vile epithet was spoken with 
so much vehemence that Father Rogers rallied, 
smiled and gently closed his eyes again, not realizing 
the danger in which he was. “ You mock me, hey ! ” 


56 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


He raised tlie pistol to take aim, but for some unknown 
reason faltered. “ No superstition can save you now. 
Pray hard, old man, pray quickly ; the hour is at 
hand ; come, make ready ! ” He grew more enraged. 
“ The secret ! the secret ! Papist priests are not 
tell-tales ; but there may be exceptions. My life is in 
danger ; while you live, my existence is miserable. 
You know that Miss Angelina loves me ; yes, you 
alone know ; she told you, I am certain. Did I not 
see her drive you out one night, priest ? Since then 
she refuses to speak to me, and rebuffs me on every 
occasion with scorn.” He hissed every word like a 
madman. “ You know too much about the Yellow 
Manse.” Saying this, the scoundrel dealt the old 
man a severe blow on the head with the end of his 
weapon, which, instead of reviving him, caused only a 
pitiful groan to escape his lips. “ He sleeps well,” 
growled the brute. “ He has a calm conscience, no 
doubt, after estranging my darling from me. Oh ! 
if he never awakes, then the sad memory that harrows 
out the soul of a murderer would not trouble me. He 
moves. Murder is the only way out, to squelch him and 
his babbling tongue. Kill him, aye, kill ! Murder ? 
I am a coward. Still, the wretch holds the secret of 
my life and love. Only two nights ago I heard him 
talking to my gentle Angelina, just after the accident. 
Oh, I would give a thousand dollars to have her speak 
to me as she addressed this gray-headed papist. 
My enemy lives, if not in the person of this man, never- 
theless in the heart of his friend, Louis James. An- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


57 


other plan, better than death. I will make the old man 
tell whom she loves, or else I will rip him up as 
I would a carcass on the dissecting board. Giving 
the priest another stroke of the revolver, this time a 
little more gentle, but nevertheless sufficiently hard 
to make him groan with pain, he yelled : “ Come, old 
man, get up,” grinning with devilish acrimony in the 
face of the rector. This failing, the doctor, who had 
injured only to cure, administered restoratives, which 
had their effect. Father Rogers awoke more quickly 
than he had anticipated, and jumping from the sofa, 
he flung the crazed doctor to the floor. The doctor, 
chagrined at the sudden onset of the priest, rallied to 
his feet, and easily knocked the old man down, who 
was so weak as to be unable to combat. Grasping 
the prostrate clergyman by the throat, he cried : 
“ Tell me, priest, what Miss Angelina whispered to 
you last night, or you shall not live to hear another 
tale.” The white face of the priest grew to a sickly 
purple, from the shake which the savage had given him 
in order to make him understand that he meant what 
he said. His only answer was a gasp ; he could say 
no more. “ Tell me, priest,” repeated the frantic doc- 
tor, “ the secret of Miss Angelina’s love.” There was 
no response, and the angry demon shouted : “It still 
lacks five minutes to four ; day will soon be here ; but 
none will rise for you, — a long, dark night alone shall 
greet your awakening. One minute is already gone. 
Quick, another, stubborn rascal ! ” he muttered, as he 
viewed the perfect calmness of the priest’s face. “You 


58 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


consider my threats as an idle hoax. This good 
knife will attest the truth of my words. Drawing a 
keen-pointed knife, he brandished it in the face of 
his victim. “ One more minute ” — the villain was 
desperate ; he meant to carry out the awful sentence. 
“ Thirty seconds,” and he raised the knife high above 
his head, to make certain of the deadly effect of the 
thrust. “ Ten,” and he put his watch quickly into his 
pocket. “ Five ! The secret or death ! ” 

“ Neither,” shouted the young artist behind him, as 
he grasped the hand of the would-be murderer and 
wrenched the knife from his grasp. The doctor, like 
an infuriated madman, sought his revolver. It was 
nowhere in sight. Louis seeing his discomfiture, re- 
marked, gleefully, as he backed into the corner of the 
room : “ What will it be, doctor, revolvers or knives ? ” 
The sudden attack of the young artist brought him 
to his recollection, and he realized his predicament — 
brought face to face, unarmed, with his bitterest 
foe. He understood that the young man would stand 
no nonsense, and he gazed at him, appalled with 
terror, as he saw himself in his power. 

“ Eevolvers or — oh, I guess you are better used to 
the tools of a physician,” said the artist, abruptly, 
throwing the dagger at the terrified man’s feet. The 
doctor, seeing that a duel was inevitable, begged 
piteously : “ Oh, mercy ! mercy ! Don’t shoot.” 

“ Go, coward, and never let me catch you skulking 
about these premises again at such unseasonable 
hours.” Louis James opened the door and gave the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


59 


astounded doctor a push that sent him tumbling 
down the rectory steps, and turning back into the 
parlor, attended to his old friend the pastor. 


CHAPTER III. 

A UNIQUE BURIAL. 

HE sunshine broke pleasantly upon the old 
brownstone rectory, giving it an air of reno- 
vation. The outside, while looking alto- 
gether comely, was far different from within. Father 
Rogers lay upon the sofa, snoring loudly, while every- 
thing in the room showed the disorder that had taken 
place. The table was turned upside down, one of the 
chairs protruded through the window panes, and 
several pictures that graced the walls were shattered 
and turned sideways — all telling of the antics of the 
intoxicated doctor. The large genial face of the rec- 
tor was wreathed in happy smiles. The cares of life 
were being solaced in a much needed repose. He was 
the picture of health, and the pale, care-worn lines 
of worriment had disappeared as he slept. His snow- 
white hair fell over his broad brow and shaded his 
large blue eyes from the morning sun that penetrat- 
ed through the broken window panes, and shone 
brilliantly in a halo round the head of the sleeping 
pastor. The thick lips were partly compressed, open 
enough, however, to reveal a white and well pre- 
served set of teeth. A more peaceful repose could 




60 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


not be imagined. This, however, was soon destined 
to be disturbed ; for Jeremy entered, accompanied 
by the young curate. Both were struck by the amia- 
ble expression of the pastor. 

“ Father Delon, doesn’t his riverence look purtier 
than iver this mornin’ ? Och, but don’t he sleep aisy ? 
It’s meself that me poor old head could enjoy such a 
nap ; none but the holy and good can take sich rest.” 
Continuing in the same tone, the good-natured Irish- 
man questioned : “ Wirra, your riverence, may I be 
askin’ — if it’s me business — where have ye been ? 
Shure, I’ve been very lonesome without ye, fretting 
like a spoiled child for his father.” 

“ Indeed, Jeremy, I am glad that you take such an 
interest in me. I was enjoying a little recreation at 
the expense of my friends.” 

“ Well, now, Father Delon, if I had been away, it’s 
little rest I would be enjoyin’ — behind bars, of coorse, 
at the hands of the county — at least that’s what his 
riverence would say when I put in me appearance. 
Recreation ! I’m thinkin’ that you did not sleep in a 
very comfortable place. Arrah musha, I had me eye 
on ye.” 

“ What do you mean,” asked the curate, sharply, 
which question the son of Erin interpreted wrongly. 

“Jeremy mane, is it, and the baste of a doctor goin’ 
to cut up yer body for practice ? — sacrilegious brute ! 
J eremy to be mane.” And the sexton, to add emphasis 
to his remarks, took a running jump across the floor, 
which noise awoke the pastor. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 61 

“No, no, Jeremy, you did not understand me! I 
did not say that you were mean.” 

“ Oh, then, you’ll excuse a poor deaf, ignorant Irish- 
man. I’m getting bothered,” and he really meant 
what he said ; for when Father Rogers, arousing him- 
self from his drowsiness, answered, “ alright ” to the 
Irishman’s summons, Jeremy sulkily left the room, 
declaring that he wasn’t “ all fight,” as this was his 
natural mode of acting. When the sexton left the 
parlor, the pastor, extending his hand to the curate, 
shook it warmly, eagerly inquiring his whereabouts 
the previous night. “ Oh,” said the young priest, 
“ such an ordeal as I was forced to go through I shall 
never forget. When I was driven away from here, 
I thought that I would not return alive. However, I 
trusted in a kind Providence, which has conducted 
me safe and sound to you once more.” 

“ But where have you been? ” 

“ When I recovered consciousness, I found myself 
bound hand and foot. A strong steel cage, with bars 
three inches thick, held me prisoner. There were 
several other cells in the place, but I am not sure that 
they were occupied. The prison was cold and damp, 
while the odors that rose from it were stifling. I was 
in a frightful predicament — the stench was fast suffo- 
cating me. I resolved to resist all the influences of 
any hellish kind, as long as there was a spark of life in 
my body. The smell, while nauseating, was not strong 
enough to overcome me. Now’ and then a tall and ugly 
man paced up and down by my door, as if on guard. 


62 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


He gave sinister looks at me from time to time, as if 
he were apprehensive of some impending danger. I 
perceived, as he went by, that his face became more 
enraged each time he made his rounds. He talked 
in a subdued voice, lisping something that I could 
only faintly hear. Time passed till the clock struck 
again. The door of the cell was pulled suddenly 
open, the keeper entered, handcuffed me tightly, and 
dragged me to the centre of the prison, where there was 
a great manhole. Into this the ugly old man lowered 
me, notwithstanding my protestations and prayers. 
By means of a rope tied under my arms, an elevator 
bore me down, I know not how far ; but it seemed as 
though it was never to stop, until it landed into the 
very lowermost regions of the earth. Finally, after 
a long and fearful descent, the elevator halted with a 
sudden jerk, throwing me into a pit of interminable 
gloom. Here terrible sounds and imprecations, ac- 
companied by spirit-like rappings, shrivelled up my 
soul. I trembled from head to foot ; the cold sweat 
fell from my brow in large drops. The air was damp 
and oppressive. I seemed to be transplanted from 
one zone to another. Fountains threw up their sil- 
very spray, which froze as soon as it fell upon my 
shoulders. I stood as a great icicle frozen to the im- 
mense mass of snow and frost that surrounded me. 

I strove with might and main to free myself, but, alas ! 
could not. My breath for a moment seemed to leave 
me as the cold, icy water dashed over me. Suddenly 
a hundred lamps or more, encased in a chandelier that 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 63 

hung in midair, cast brilliant beams about the place. 
I saw a mountain of ice beneath my feet. The light 
relieved my drooping spirit from the agony that op- 
pressed it. A little later a blast of hot air began to 
dissolve the ice around me. I renewed my efforts to 
extricate myself, and when almost about to give up 
in despair, one of my feet became relaxed, and an in- 
stant later I was running down the slippery descent. 
I could not stop my awful pace. Down, down, I shot, 
at a terrific rate of speed, until I landed, horribly 
shaken up, in a large lake. I must have plunged 
deeply, as I thought I never would rise to the surface. 
On all sides great furnaces gave forth intense heat. 
Blue and purple flames darted out like squirming de- 
mons in the tortuous eternal fires. I was compelled 
to sink beneath the tide, time and time again, in order 
to avoid the flames. My position was extremely criti- 
cal. My head alone was above the surface of the 
water, and even that portion I was forced to shelter 
by an occasional plunge. 4 0 God ! ’ I cried repeated- 
ly, 4 am I a victim of some dreadful dream, or am I 
really a resident of Purgatory ? * Yea, I thought that 
I was cast into the regions of perpetual strife and sor- 
row, so sadly was my soul afflicted. Every time I 
breathed a prayer I felt relieved, and I can assure you, 
Father, that I prayed almost incessantly. A loud, 
hollow voice stunned my ears by its lamentations : 

4 O sinner, thou wilt remain on the rack till thou 
shalt give up thy secret.’ I looked in the direction 
whence it came, and I saw a great high tower, upon 


64 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


wliich was seated an indescribable monster. At the 
sound of the bell the lights in the wonderful chande- 
liers were extinguished and the doors of the furnaces 
closed. All was again in darkness. Instantly I heard 
a whirring sound in the air, and before I was aware 
of my plight I was hanging by the hair from the 
tower, overlooking the frightful abyss. Speechless, 
I could only see the smoke of the furnaces beneath 
me. My body swayed, like a pendulum, to and fro, 
and I turned a complete somersault, falling down, how 
far I cannot tell, until I landed in a spacious room 
filled with all kinds ot startling sights. I saw here 
headless men in burning cauldrons.” 

“ You were then in the Yellow Manse ! ” ejaculated 
the pastor. 

“ Y r es ; that I am now led to believe, but how I was 
admitted there I cannot explain ; so I will tell you of 
my escape. After I had viewed the mysterious room, 
in which I suppose the triangular window was, but 
which I could not find, I was roughly forced upon an- 
other elevator, which descended a short distance, and 
then went up to a great height, where it stopped 
before two large oaken doors that swung mechanically 
open, and here I was placed in charge of the ugly 
keeper. He put me in my cell, and having watched 
an hour or so longer, departed. No sooner had he 
left the prison than an old man clothed in rags, tut 
having a kind face, bade me follow him. I did as he 
commanded, and when we came to a massive iron 
door, he took out a large key, with which he cautious- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 65 

1 y unlocked it. This admitted us into a long, high- 
vaulted corridor, down which we briskly walked, until 
we came to an immense shute. “ Father Delon, your 
life is in danger,” said the old man ; “ this opening 
leads to freedom.” The voice was so mild and reassur- 
ing, that without the slightest hesitation I jumped in 
and slid and rolled well-nigh a hundred yards until I 
tumbled into a stack of hay on the open street. Once 
free, I wandered aimlessly about like one held captive 
by some illusion, not knowing where I was, so bewild- 
ered had the experience of the night made me, until 
I finally arrived here.” The curate, after reciting the 
account of his thrilling adventure, which appeared so 
unreal, continued : “ Father, what makes the thing 
more strange, is my escape. Who could the old man 
be?” 

“ My young friend, the artist, who saved us both 
last night.” 

“ Who is this young man, Father ? ” 

“ Why, Louis James.” 

“ Now I remember the face — an excellent detective.” 

“ He has done nobly, George. Twice within 
twenty-four hours he has thwarted that wretched 
villain’s design of slaughtering us both.” 

“ Why not place the case in his hands? ” 

“ A capital idea, my son ; one of my best friends — 
shrewd and capable ; that’s what we’ll do. Moreover, 
I have learned from Sister Marguerite that he is 
admired by the members of that household, and will 
be just the man on whom we can rely with all confi- 


66 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


dence. A wise suggestion. Louis James will do ex- 
actly.” “ Jeremy, Jeremy,” shouted the rector. The 
sexton stalked in as if he were an English bailiff, 
so great was his dignity. “ You are to bring this 
note to Mr. James,” said the pastor, as he handed 
him a piece of paper on which he had written a few 
lines. Jeremy rather reluctantly walked out of the 
room, observing which, Father Kogers addressed 
him : “ Jeremy, are you feeling ill ? ” 

“ Faith, I’m feeling bad, yer riverence ; how could 
I feel otherwise, when ye say I’m always fightin’.” 

“ What’s this all about. Have you been carous- 
ing?” 

“ Not I, Father ; not a drop have I touched in a 
week, and all the satisfaction I get for me temperance 
is that you say I’m all fight.” 

“You are mistaken, Jeremy.” 

“ Well, then, yer riverence, you’ll have to speak 
plainer the next time, as I’m gettin’ slow of hearin’. 
Good-bye.” 

It was approaching noon, and the coaches were 
assembling round the Yellow Manse to attend the 
funeral of the lady who had been killed, as Jeremy 
left to find the artist. The lanky, narrow-backed un- 
dertaker, who had attended the funerals of the rich 
for many a year throughout the city, put in an appear- 
ance. His first official act was to open the great 
double door of the mansion that had been closed as 
long as the oldest neighbor could remember. The 
shutters, too, were pushed back on their rusty hinges, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


67 


and magnificently embroidered lace curtains fell 
over the plate glass windows. The old Manse ap- 
peared pleasant. People within began to stir, and 
the ever-ready sightseers were present in large num- 
bers. A hundred masons strong, with short white 
aprons, marched down the street, accompanied by a 
band of music playing a tune that was in little sym- 
pathy with stern death. The sound of the music and 
the noise of parade which attended it, attracted many 
more to the residence of the Omars. The Masons 
formed a double line, through which the corpse was 
to pass. Nearly one hundred carriages, filled with 
all the lodges of the city, were blocked together in 
front of the mansion. In the meantime, while 
the preparations were being made, Father Rogers 
watched the proceedings from the parlor window, 
while Jeremy and Louis where occupied in as favor- 
able positions on the floor above. The young artist 
had his brushes and his palette, ready to paint. 

“ Is it meself yer going to draw ? Oh, how foolish 
I’m to be thinking so.” Jeremy touched his sides, 
and began to laugh heartily at the expense of the 
artist. 

“ Shurely, if Molly were to see me likeness, she’d 
caress it forever (because there would be no one to 
stop her). It’s not meself that yer after, me friend, 
but Lady Angelina,” and again the good-natured man 
roared aloud as he saw Louis blush. Continuing in 
his usual go-ahead fashion, with a huge smile beam- 
ing on his frank, open countenance, he rejoined : 


68 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ Faith, Miss Angelina is a pretty sweetheart.” The 
artist thought best to put a stop to the cajolery of 
the Irishman, for, once started with his fun-making, 
he could not be easily stopped. 

“ Hush, man, I have no sweetheart.” 

“ Well, if yer haven’t, then my Molly is altogether 
mistaken, and I’m innocent of accusing a man not 
guilty.” 

“ Who is this Molly you speak of ? ” 

“ Why, my Molly, of coorse, the intended of your 
humble friend, Jeremy. Your honor, that’s the lady 
that wouldn’t tell a lie for any body, and she says 
that you are in love with the beautiful Miss Angelina, 
the infidel’s daughter.” 

“ Where did she get this news ? ” 

“ Direct, I suppose, from the lady herself ; or may- 
be she overheard the ugly old doctor cursing you.” 

“ Will you inquire, Jeremy, whether or not she got 
it from Miss Angelina’s own lips ? ” 

“ Oh, didn’t I know from your own words that you 
thought a dale of her. You were never done speak- 
ing of her charms, and any man that’s always prais- 
in’ a woman, that samelassy is his own. Now, Louis, 
I’m only speaking before marriage, because after it, 
he generally regrets, too late, that he didn’t remain a 
bachelor.” 

The artist was deeply meditating, and he did not 
respond. Occasionally he had contrived to visit the 
lady who had met the sad accident, in the hope that 
he might obtain an interview with the maid of the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 69 

Manse, Miss Angelina. He had never spoken to her, 
as this had been expressly forbidden him to do. He 
saw her now and then, as she fluttered into the room 
in which lie was accustomed to meet her mother. 
Sometimes she looked at him with a half- piteous 
glance ; then again, she would hold her eyes cast down 
upon the ground, as if afraid to look him squarely in 
the face. “ Did she love him ? ” That was the ques- 
tion that perplexed the artist, and it was such con- 
siderations that prevented him from paying attention 
to the last remarks of Jeremy. 

“ Now, me boy, none of yer blarney ; ain't ye in 
love with Angelina ? 99 

There was no answer. 

“ There is no use of fooling one who has been in the 
toils of Cupid many times.” 

The artist broke out into a merry laugh. 

“ Oh, I don’t mane to say that I’ve been married, 
divorced, a dozen times ; but simply, that I’ve been 
rejected, jilted, and the dear knows what, for me pro- 
posals ; so at last I concluded that I’ll never take the 
fatal step till I’m asked first. Take me advice : you 
are still very young ; don’t ask Miss Angelina’s hand 
too soon, as she has many suitors.” 

“ Oh, sir, you startle me with your information. 
Will you kindly let me know who they are ? ” 

“ Too numerous to mention, me boy. There’s the 
old gent of the house, the doctor, and meself, if 
ever I loose Molly, and nearly everybody that sees 
her.” 


70 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“You are aware that I am in love with Miss 
Angelina ? 

“ I didn’t doubt it in the least, but I thought to 
assist you. 

“ How, Jeremy ? Do, I beg you. I am in love.” 

“ And I am, too, me son, so take me into your con- 
fidence, and be assured that I will make it aisy for 
you. 

Louis gave him his hand. “ Jeremy, you must act 
cautiously, for that house is as full of secrets as a 
Mason’s lodge.” 

“ I’m thinkin’ it is a lodge for Masons, and the 
quicker I’m called to unroost some of them the better.” 

A moment later the artist sought to sound the 
sexton, but he refused to be side-tracked. 

“ Arrah, me friend Louis, yer bating around the 
bush with as much clumsiness as the old goat of me 
mother’s that went larking about the clothes-line till 
he hanged himself.” 

The young man felt that he was cornered. To 
attempt to draw out of the alliance that he had made 
with the Irishman was to entangle himself all the 
more. The conversation of the two friends could not 
be continued for the present. The funeral cortege 
was about to start. Down the steps came men wear- 
ing different insignias, representative of the various 
societies to which they belonged. The Masons still 
kept their post at the iron gate. Ten tall, pagan-like 
priests bearing large books, led the procession. They 
wore long scarlet robes trailing to the ground, and 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


71 


small, cone-shaped turbans of the same color. Six 
walked slowly in front, while the remaining four sup- 
ported a platform, upon which was seated an old man 
with white hair and beard and with features as red as 
a North American Indian. His attire was superb. 
A long white silken gown, decorated with the choicest 
flowers of the tropics, concealed his person. His 
sandals were ornamented with jewels and gold. A 
beautifully colored kerchief closed round his bronzed 
neck, and with head uplifted, his little red eyes 
peering anxiously at the vast number of spectators, 
he was borne away. Next in line were the various 
other branches of secret orders. Then came the car- 
riages in a long file. The hearse, plumed with black 
and white, and drawn by six fine white horses, stood 
at the entrance. Soon the lanky undertaker appeared, 
and showing the emotion he felt on such solemn occa- 
sions, with arms crossed, walked before the casket. 
Two tiny children dressed in white, held the’first hand- 
dles of the casket, while four young ladies clad in black 
and heavily veiled, supported the four remaining ones. 
Slowly the procession moved away. Above the dull 
crash of the lodges’ band could be heard the sobs of 
the weeping pall-bearers. A great throng of people 
followed the strange funeral procession to the grave. 
Business was suspended as it passed through the city. 
All eyes gazed at the individual being borne away on 
the throne. The mysterious red men shouted a mel- 
ancholy strain to their “ Allah ” that no one under- 
stood. Ths cemetery was at last reached. The men 


72 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


in red stood round their white-robed chieftain. The 
Masons arranged themselves in double file, while the 
crowd that was in the rear surged up as best they could 
to catch a glimpse of the grave. The pall-bearers, 
weeping bitterly, laid down their burden gently, while 
the red men sang and recited in turn passages from 
their wonderful books. The grave-diggers having put 
their straps around the casket, slowly lowered it to its 
last resting place. All was quiet now, save the sighs of 
the mourners. As soon as the earth had been piled 
upon the grave, the tallest of the girls knelt down, 
and making the sign of the cross, she began to recite 
aloud the “ Hail Mary.” It was responded to by 
the Catholics, who, hearing the tone of their sweetest 
prayer, knelt down and joined in their anthem of 
love. The faces of the stiff Masons were indescriba- 
ble. They made grimaces that men alone of their 
stamp are capable of making. The red men raised 
loud shrieks to their “ Allah,” and wound up their 
monotonous chorus by shouting at the top of their 
voices, “God is God, and Mahomet is his prophet.” 
During the uproar the children in white grasped the 
hand of the kneeling lady, and recited the prayers 
after her. The rage of the white-robed chieftain knew 
no bounds. He rushed to where the three were 
kneeling and motioned them to rise, and all the while 
he uttered terrible oaths and curses. The little ones 
clutched more closely with fright the skirts of the 
lady, who continued her prayers without noticing his 
menaces. The fierce chieftain turned to the Masons 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


73 


and addressed them in some unspeakable dialect. 
Forth from the ranks came the blear-eyed doctor, and 
with the sweetest smile that he was capable of res- 
urrecting to his scowling visage, approached the 
maiden and whispered something in her ear. He 
stepped back, and the lady rose to her feet, the little 
ones still holding fast to her. The doctor laughed out- 
right at his success. He approached her a second 
time — now extending his arm. She lifted her veil 
from off her beautiful face, and with a scornful look, 
shouted : “ Beware, villain ! ” The exclamation start- 
led the doctor, who, abashed with the rebuff, slunk a 
few feet backward. His pride was keenly wounded. 
He had never before heard a rebuke given by a 
woman with such expression. He was astonished all 
the more when he realized his position. He glanced 
at his brother Masons, but they had only smiles of 
derision depicted on their faces. He gazed sarcas- 
tically at the crowd ; they simply ignored him. 
Neither did the “ high priest ” seem pleased. The 
doctor again moved forward, and with a still deeper 
show of graciousness, offered to conduct the motion- 
less lady to her carriage. She disdained to acquiesce 
to his demand. “ Angelina, Angelina,” he implored ; 
but seeing his endeavors fruitless to lead her away 
from the grave, he began to curse the people that were 
praying near by. The members of the lodges ap- 
proved of his vile remarks by their murmurings. 
When he had concluded insulting them, he went 
again to the young lady’s side and gave her a rude 


74 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


push. There was a cry of shame from the crowd ; he 
heeded it not, and repeated his unkind action. The 
young woman, recovering herself as he was about to 
urge her still more violently, reprimanded him and 
moved briskly to the carriage. There was a shout of 
exultation from the citizens. The doctor made a rush 
for her, but the foot of a young man shot out as quick 
as lightning, and the baffled physician went on all 
fours to the ground. A fight seemed imminent be- 
tween the secret organizations and the people, but 
several policemen dispersed the gathering, and the 
funeral cortege made its way homeward. When the 
funeral had moved from the Yellow Manse, the artist 
set about to complete the picture ; the outlines he 
had sketched as the burial party went by. Jeremy 
being of a more curious character than his friend, fol- 
lowed in the rank and file of the neighbors that at- 
tended the burial. When Louis had completed the 
sketch, Jeremy entered, and the two proceeded to the 
floor below, whence the priests were watching all that 
had occurred. Father Eogers answered the knock, and 
seeing the artist, greeted him warmly. Having intro- 
duced him to the curate, who thanked him heartily 
for his assistance the night previous, he was about to 
close the door when Jeremy pleaded for admittance. 

“ Fathers, there’s no use of humbugging about the 
business at all, at all. I know a thing or two about 
these premises, and first and foremost, I want to know 
if I’ll be of any sarvice to you in learning anything 
about the place beyant.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


75 


The priests were astounded at the remarks of the 
Irishman, and they knew not what to say in reply. 
When no answer was forthcoming, J eremy continued : 
“ Oh, yer riverences both, don’t try to decave me ; I 
know yer purpose in calling Louis to your assistance.” 

“You broke your trust then, sir,” replied the 
pastor, sharply, u and you are not worthy of our con- 
fidence.” 

“ Then, musha, I’ll lave ; but first, ye know yerself 
that I could not read the note, and besides, I’m sure 
that if I don’t know more about the Yellow Manse 
and its wonders than all of you put together — ” 

“ How did you get your knowledge ? ” remarked the 
rector, in a conciliatory tone of voice. 

“ Why, I’m dead in love with the Frinch cook — 
Molly Liffey.” 

“ Are you admitted into the house ? ” 

“ The same as yerself and me friend Louis — just 
get to the hall room and no further ; but I have a 
great cravin’ to take a look around the place, and I’m 
just thinkin’ of goin’ on an expedition, and if I’ll be 
of any sarvice — ” 

“ Oh, certainly you will,” replied the pastor. 

“Well, then, let us understand each other, and not 
be working in the dark.” 

“ That is the proper thing,” rejoined the curate. 

The clergymen knew that J eremy was quick-witted. 
He understood something of the case, and besides, 
being upright and honest to a fault, he moreover 
belonged to the immediate household, and, therefore, 


76 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


why not recognize his ability ? The priest from that 
moment resolved to accept the help of the good-nat- 
ured Irishman. Beginning at once in his new office, 
Jeremy asked : “ Say, Louis, have ye finished the 
picture ? ” 

“ Yes ; you will find it on the easel, upstairs.” 

The sexton went up, and in a minute brought it 
into the room, and lo ! there was the perfect likeness 
of the white-robed chieftain. Father Rogers stared 
at it for some moments, while Father Delon first 
glanced nervously at the picture and then at the 
pastor. 

“ This is the same midnight caller,” exclaimed the 
rector in astonishment. “This is he,” replied the 
French priest, trembling. 

“ Louis’ father-in-law,” ejaculated the Irishman, and 
the same lad that had us in a peck of trouble. The 
thoughtful face of the artist became suffused with 
blushes. 

“ The rascal was nearly stirrin’ up a riot at the 
funeral to-day.” 

“ A riot ! ” the three exclaimed, simultaneously. 

“ At least a bit of a tragedy. Shure Miss Angelina 
knelt down to say a prayer for the poor departed 
lady’s soul, and that old gray-headed thief raised a 
great hullabaloo, tie cursed and swore until another, 
as big and homely as himself — the doctor — came to 
his assistance and ordered the girl to get off her knees. 
He treated her so brutally that her patience was 
exhausted, and she was forced to reprimand him pub- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


77 


licly and seek refuge in flight. But the red-headed 
butcher followed her as she ran to the coach, and I 
think he would have killed her, when I put out me 
foot and I gave him the soundest fall he ever got.” 

“ Did he recognize you ? ” queried the curate, anx- 
iously. 

“ He did ; for he swore to get even with me, but 
the crowd stuck to me, and if all the Masons that ever 
swore their bloodiest oaths to get square that day, it 
would be all the one way and we on top.” 

“ Was there any more disturbance ? ” 

“ No ; the officers arrived and broke up the whole 
meetinV’ 

“ Who was the lady ? ” inquired the curate. 

“ None other than Miss Angelina.” 

“ Miss Angelina and the doctor again. Ha ! I will 
avenge that outrage,” spoke the artist. “Are you 
certain that it was Miss Angelina ? ” 

“ Positively, Louis. She prayed, too ; is she not 
an unbeliever ? ” 

“ Infidel or not, yer riverence, she said as nice a 
prayer as either of us ever said.” 

“Father,” spoke Louis, addressing the curate, 
“ Miss Angelina is, on the contrary, I am inclined to 
think, a good Catholic.” 

“ A Catholic ! ” responded the priest. 

« Yes ; but a prisoner in the Yellow Manse. I live 
only to rescue her from the hands of her base 
keeper.” 

“ Well, before you are able to do this, we must get 


78 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


in possession of that villain’s secret,” said the sexton, 
pointing at the picture. 

“ There is the Mystery of the Yellow Manse ! ” 

All gazed upon the white-robed chieftain with 
bronzed skin and little red eyes and stiff, wrinkled 
cheeks and brow. A finer group could not have been 
gathered together in one sitting. Father Delon and 
Louis sat side by side. Their faces bore the same 
expression. Hair, eyes and figure were alike, so 
much so, that any one not acquainted with them might 
take them for twins. The head and hair of the pas- 
tor were not unlike in some respects to the picture, 
which he scanned with eager attention. One bore 
an amiable and friendly mien, the other had a hard- 
ened look. Jeremy, too, was of a very presentable 
appearance. Not so handsome as either the curate 
or the artist, or as homely as the stern red man, he 
had what people might term, a passible look. His 
ruddy cheeks told the happy warmth of the soul that 
lay beneath them. He was something over thirty, 
although at first sight you would take him to be 
more advanced. He was of medium size, inclined to 
be stout, and well proportioned — “ just such a man 
as any comely girl might take a liking to,” as he ex- 
pressed it himself. When they remained sometime 
in silence, he began anew the conversation. “ There 
is no time to be lost, good gentlemen three, and if we 
wish to save the inmates of that house yonder from a 
miserable life here, and maybe, hereafter, let us set 
about our task at once.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


79 


“ As it is growing late, dear friends,” said Father 
Rogers, “ Father Delon and I have urgent duties fco 
perform. We will think, in the meanwhile, on some 
line of action, and to-morrow the strange things of 
to-day may, God willing, be brought to light.” 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE ADVENTURES OF JEREMY OWENS. 


T was nearly noon when the artist made his 
appearance on the following day. His dress 
was of the gentleman’s caste. He wore a 
tight-fitting black suit of tasteful pattern. His feat- 
ures were never more beautiful. A pleasant smile 
was on his dull red lips instead of the angry look he 
wore when he heard of the doctor’s attack on Miss 
Angelina. 

“ Why, any girl in the land would be proud of you, 
if it were only for your good looks.” 

This was the sexton’s compliment as he ushered 
the artist into the little parlor where the clergymen 
were awaiting his presence. 

“We are here again. Let us begin business at 
once,” remarked the curate. 

“ Sister Marguerite is still missing ; she will be of 
value to us,” added the pastor. Jeremy disappeared, 
and in a few minutes returned, in company with the 
good nun. Her disposition was altogether changed. 
Her cheeks had faded to an ashy color. The spark- 




80 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


ling light of those large brown eyes that greeted 
friend and stranger in days gone by with joy, had 
likewise departed, and she looked haggard and care- 
worn. Her condition drew a sigh from the rector as 
he beheld her. Sister Marguerite, it is true, had 
never been herself since the night she was aroused to 
attend her dying father ; but the past week she was 
completely cast down. The presence of Miss Angel- 
ina at the burial of Omar’s wife, and her connection 
with the “ Yellow Manse,” excited her greatly. She 
painfully awaited to hear the secret of her father’s 
death, but more especially, to ascertain what had 
become of her family since she had seen them last. 
Her voice was very weak as she greeted each in turn. 
How different from the melodious peal that so often 
rang out with angelic sweetness in the holy precincts 
of the cloister. She, alas ! was only a shadow of her 
former self as she sat down in the chair offered her 
by Jeremy. 

“ You are unwell to-day, Sister. Has that imag- 
inary mind of yours led you astray again ? ” asked the 
pastor. 

“ Perhaps,” she answered, distractedly, “ but I must 
find some interpretation to my fears. You know that 
if they were alone in the imagination, I would not 
worry so much about them ; remember my father’s 
sad death, — this is not an hallucination. Oh, can no 
one assist me out of my difficulty ! ” 

“Yes, Sister, I will for one. Father Rogers 
at last has resolved to trust me, and when I keep 


THE MYSTEBY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


81 


away from drink, I’m as faithful as an angel to duty. 
Faith, you can believe I’ll help you, good mother, 
and I’ll clear away the trouble that has lain upon 
your heart for the five years gone by.” 

Jeremy thus replied to the sympathetic plea of the 
nun with that open-hearted earnestness that gave him 
the title of the good-natured man. 

“ Jeremy, I could always trust you, but in the 
present instance, I am forced by peculiar circum- 
stances to refuse your assistance.” 

“ No, Sister, Jeremy is in our employ,” replied 
the pastor. 

“ A detective. Then we need your aid.” 

“ Then I’m at your disposal at all risks ; but, Sister, 
it seems to me, as far as I can find out, that some 
gliost-like dream has followed you about for a long 
period. I see no reason why you should fret your 
precious life away thinking of what might have hap- 
pened to your family. Father Delon has an almost 
identical tale to tell, but he prays and hopes that all 
will turn out right.” 

“ But did he find his father with the terrible dec- 
laration of ‘ Bobbery, divorce, and infidelity,’ on his 
dying lips, following in the awful wake of that tell- 
tale murder. I cannot stand the suspense that has 
hung over me since I obtained the truth. Each of 
these monsters, I fear, has been an evil factor in my 
family’s ruin. O great God! will none solve the 
mystery of my family’s whereabouts ? ” 

Having concluded this pitiful story, and throwing 


82 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


up her hands, she shrieked aloud. It was some 
minutes before she regained her self-control. 

“ Sister, I’m thinking with his riverence, that 
you’ll have to restrain your mind a bit, and don’t 
leave it run away with your reason.” 

“ Oh, you don’t understand my position. You speak 
too quickly. Explain the dying words of my father. 
What do you mean ? Are they a delusion? Now 
swear to aid me, or depart forever from my sight.” 

These brief sentences showed the terrible earnest- 
ness of the nun. Too much time had been lost, and 
practically nothing was done to relieve her mind. 

“ Swear to me, if you are my friend,” said the 
Sister, pointing to the Irishman. 

“ Well, surely I’m your friend, and I swear to assist 
you. I know full well that havoc has been raised in 
your family.” 

A copious flood of tears flowed down the cheeks 
of the heart-broken woman, and Jeremy, seeing her 
weeping, turned away, for he, too, felt a large tear 
rising in his eye that he could not keep back. 

“ Well, Sister, hope and trust that God will change 
those very troubles that now so sorely grieve you, into 
the choicest blessings. You have me oath, Sister.” 

“ And mine also,” said the artist, rising to his feet. 
“ Promise me that you will bear up under the trials 
that are weighing you down, and may God reward 
our endeavors.” 

“ I promise, Mr. James, and from the bottom of my 
heart I thank both of you gentlemen for ‘your kind- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 83 

ness. May our Divine Lord and His Blessed Mother 
protect you both from the machinations of the Evil 
One.” The meeting was adjourned. The clergymen 
repaired to their pastoral work, while Sister Mar- 
guerite, in company with her companion, walked 
slowly toward the convent, Jeremy following in 
their footsteps. The artist remained, to put the 
finishing touches to his picture. When the sexton 
proceeded some distance across the lawn, he stopped : 
“ Sister, may I ask you one question ? ” 

“ Certainly.” 

“ Was the lady that brought you to the bedside of 
your father named Omar ? ” 

“Omar? That name is familiar. Omar — a prince 
whom I nursed at the fall of Moscow.” 

“A Turkish prince, Sister?” 

“ Born and bred in Egypt, I think, though he had 
some claim on Turkey. He was grievously wounded, 
and being touched by his afflictions, I took particular 
care of him. When he recovered he gave me this, and 
she drew forth a many colored kerchief, and said : 
“ Sister, this may be of some worth to you some day ; 
it is of immense value ; treasure it carefully.” 

“ Hump ! and did he speak Turkish, French, or 
English?” 

“ In broken French — a knowledge of which he had 
acquired in the army of my country.” 

“ Then you are of French birth ? That’s all. What 
you refused to tell me the other evening I have now. 
Good-bye.” 


84 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


The Irishman sought the company of his friend 
the artist, to lay immediate plans for operation. 
When Sister Marguerite stepped into the community 
room, all the Sisters had gathered there to spend 
their usual evening recreation. Everyone saw at 
once the wholesome change in their beloved superior- 
ess. The melancholy gloom had faded from her 
brow as in a pleasing tone of conversation she greet- 
ed them. One -talked to the other of the improved 
condition of their mother, and this formed the princi- 
pal topic of the evening’s conversation, as each one 
was busily engaged at some light sewing. When 
there was a brief interval of silence, Sister Innocentia, 
a small, sweet-faced nun, remarked : “ Why, Sister 

Marguerite, you now look as happy as of old. You 
have been sad for a long time, and now that you have 
become once more joyful, we, too, who have been 
partakers of your sorrow, may now share your joy.” 

“Yes, my child, the nuns have given me great con- 
solation in my trouble, and being partakers of the 
sadness, they ought now be sharers of my present 
disposition of mind.” 

This was the signal for that kind of merriment 
which a convent and light-hearted Sisters are alone 
capable of affording. In a moment Sister Innocentia 
was at the piano playing all the lively pieces that 
were in her repertoire. Some of the Sisters sang, 
too, and so sweetly that bigots, had they heard them, 
would not say they were prisoners by force. The 
enjoyment passed that evening so quickly that the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


85 


nuns wondered if recreation were really over when 
the bell rang for night prayers. Everybody enjoyed 
the music and singing so much, and none more than 
Sister Marguerite. In the chapel she poured out the 
most heartfelt thanksgiving she had ever made to 
God, for the young men who had sworn to try with 
all their might to solve the mystery, in which, she 
felt, that all who were dear to her were in some way 
implicated. No sooner did her thoughts linger on 
the case, than she began to grow sad. “ O God ! ” she 
repeated in the words expressed by the prophet: 
“ O, all you that pass my way, see if there is any sorrow 
equal to my sorrow. ” She tried to bear up under 
the severe trials and temptations that pursued her. 
Yes ; she had been pleasant to the Sisters a few min- 
utes at least, and that one consoling thought rushed 
through her fevered brain as she walked to her room 
after night prayers. She wished none of her dear 
children to share with her the cup of sorrow that 
she was destined to drink. “ O Lord ! ” she moaned 
in the anguish of grief that overwhelmed her. She 
forgot it was the will of God that she should suffer 
thus. Her voice was silent, but her agitated bosom 
beat violently with the conflict which she was com- 
pelled to endure. That holy woman who had wit- 
nessed the slaughter of battle in its cruelest form, 
was now destined to feel, if not to view, a fiercer con- 
test raging within her own bosom. Hastily she 
arose from her knees, and flinging herself across the 
bed, moaned bitterly. Soon she fell asleep. Images 


86 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


of her poverty-stricken family rose before her, and 
their emaciated faces showed the sufferings they had 
undergone. Heavily chained, they lay on a cold 
dungeon floor, with no light save the flickering beam 
of an old oil lamp. Her darling mother, whom she 
had not seen for years, was there, with a sad and 
worn countenance depicting her wretchedness. Be- 
side her was her father, cold in death, and a bright 
little child kneeling by him with her hands folded in 
prayer. Oh, in death she had found them united, and 
she was glad even of this last boon. Then the scenes 
vanished, and the old cabin loomed up before her. It 
was the one in which her poor father died. She saw 
the child enter and sit by the bedside of the old ? 
worn-out soldier, but now her mother was absent. 
“ Oh, my father,” she wept, hysterically, “ they have 
wronged you and mother ; but God shall amply re- 
ward your sufferings hereafter.” “ Angelina,” spoke 
the dying man, “send for Sister Marguerite, the 
Superioress of St. Mary’s Convent. Go quickly, be- 
fore those villains kill me.” The Sister hearing these 
remarks, awoke in a fright ; but seeing that it was all 
a dream, blessed herself, and slept the same disturbed 
sleep again. She was once more standing by her 
father’s bed, and it was that moment in which he 
gasped those terrible words that worked so much 
horror in the life of the good nun. His eyes were 
fixed upon her, but his words were inaudible, and 
he fell back, dead. In came the mysterious red men, 
who, chanting a strange paean, took hold of the body 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 87 

and bore it away. Thus the superioress passed the 
night in a dreadful state of suspense and misgiving. 
The bell summoned the Sisters to rise. Sister Inno- 
centia entered the room and saw at once that Sister 
Marguerite was ill. “What brought you here, my 
child, at this hour ? ” 

“Dear mother,” answered the nun, “ I heard you 
moaning, and I thought that you might need assist- 
ance.” 

Sister Marguerite smiled benignly. “ My child, I 
have only been dreaming.” 

“ Dreams disappear when one awakens, but yours 
never. Who are the red men you speak of ? ” 

“ My daughter, you astonish me with your say- 
ings.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! ” laughed the little nun, “ I think it is just 
the opposite. Come now, Sister, tell me your dream ; 
you must have dreamt direful things ; you are in 
trouble, I know.” 

“ Hush, dear, dreams are fables, and fables, as the 
old proverb goes, are lies.” 

“ Why not consider them in the same light, Sister ? 
With you they are a fanciful reality. Who now, 
I pray, was the charming lady with whom you were 
conversing ? ” 

“ I don’t remember. Perhaps it was with the lady 
of the Manse.” 

“ Strange, indeed, to have dreamt of that horrid 
house. It is really too bad that such a refined person 
as Miss Angelina dwells there.” 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ All, my child, she cannot help it — being detained 
by force.” 

“ A prisoner? I thought as much, else she would 
not have remained willingly with those red men who 
reside there.” 

“ Bed men ! Who are they, child ? ” 

“ Maybe the ones you have dreamt about.” 

The face of the elder nun grew thoughtful ; there 
was a deep touch of pathos in her inquiry : “ Do they 
abide permanently in the Yellow Manse ? ” 

“ I am led to believe so from the remarks of my 
brother Louis.” 

“ And pray, dear, may I ask, where he got such 
information ? ” 

“ Presumably from the lady who met with the 
accident a few days ago.” 

“ I was not aware that visitors were ever admitted, 
the place seems so deserted.” 

“ A retired lot of people inhabit that dwelling. It 
is frequented by members of lodges when all honest 
people are in bed. Their business may be legitimate, 
but, Sister Marguerite, evil deeds are done under the 
cover of darkness.” 

“ One question, and I am done, Sister Innocentia. 
How came your brother to be acquainted with the 
lady you mentioned ? ” 

“I believe he rescued her from some peril or 
other, for which she was ever afterward grateful. No 
more about the haunted house or its people. Tell 
me the name of the old soldier in your dream, and 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 89 

the meaning of those words : ‘ Murder, robbery, 

divorce and infidelity.’ ” 

“ The old gentleman was my father, and, oh ! the 
rest is a dark mystery.” 

The bell again sounded — this time to summon the 
nuns to the chapel. Day was quietly breaking in the 
eastern sky as the two Sisters walked side by side, 
crestfallen, to attend the morning prayers of the 
community. In the rectory the priests slept soundly, 
while Jeremy and the artist were discussing plans in 
the parlor of the rectory without a thought of rest. 

The Angelus is pealing its mighty vibrations from 
out the belfry of St. Mary’s ; the clear air of the morn- 
ing carries the tones over the far-extending meadows, 
where close by the sail of the lone fisherman’s smack 
lies becalmed in the broad, glassy bay. The faithful 
are bending down to offer their labor of the day to their 
good God above, who repays every action done in His 
honor, a hundred-fold. Along the outskirts of the city 
the farmers are ploughing. Spring has come to en- 
rich the land. The birds are warbling their sweetest 
notes in the tall trees that nestle by the side of the 
sleepy old river. Children in the large rookeries of 
flats are awake from their slumbers, and strike up 
the same monotonous chorus of shrieks and yells — 
ever going from morning to night — scarcely less 
discordant to the ears of the horny-handed laborer 
than the screeching whistles of the neighboring shops. 
Quiet reigns in the convent, save the prayer-lisping 
lips of the Sisters who are attending the Holy Sacri- 


90 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


fice which Father Eogers is offering up. Jeremy 
and Louis are devout worshippers in the church, 
where the curate is raising aloft to God the self-same 
sacrifice which is everywhere being offered “ from 
the rising to the setting of the sun.” They have 
formed their line of battle, and are praying to the 
God of armies for strength to cope successfully with 
the “ Mystery of the Yellow Manse.” This strange 
residence has even a more dismal appearance to-day 
than it ever before presented. Probably because the 
window shutters and the great oak door, which had 
been opened the day previous for the first time in the 
memory of many citizens, were now closed as tightly 
as if they were never more to open. Like the temple 
of Janus, the old manor stood bold and defiant, but 
the war was to be waged within. No crowd sur- 
rounded the building. Occasionally a passer-by 
looked up at its unique frame, stopped a moment, 
shook his head, and went on and wondered why so 
strange a place was built. The triangular window 
offered no view. The arrival of a short, stout man 
at the tall iron gate at the entrance attracted no 
attention. From the links on his breast, it was 
evident that he was a full-fledged Mason. We might 
as well say that this short individual was no other 
than the comely Irishman — whose physiognomy, 
under the artist’s touch, was unrecognizable except 
to himself and his friend. Not even the priests were 
informed of the adventure which Jeremy was to make. 
Louis had his doubts of the success of the scheme, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


91 


but it had been proposed by Jeremy himself, and 
with so much ardor that the artist finally resolved 
to encourage him. 

“ Musha, there must be a way out of gettin’ the 
sacret, and the sacret way, I’m thinkin’, is the bet- 
ter. And, wirra, me good friend Louis, if I never 
return, believe me, I procured the sacret, though it 
died untold upon me lips.” 

This was the farewell parting as Jeremy took a 
circuitous route about the city until he arrived at the 
Yellow Manse. As he opened the gate the Irishman 
was the personification of an admirable looking 
Mason, if such a being can be considered. Unaccus- 
tomed to finery in dress, the tight-fitting black suit 
of the artist gave him an air of the sacret-keeper, as 
Jeremy thought. His red cheeks were shaded to a 
sallow color, his eyebrows dyed a deep black, and 
the dark moustache concealing his cleanly shaven 
lip gave him a stern expression. Hurriedly he 
ascended the steps and rang the bell violently, impa- 
tiently waiting for admittance. It was opened by a 
small, wiry maid, who ushered the visitor into a hand- 
some sitting room, and closing the door quickly, in 
a polite manner, asked : “ Your name, please ? ” 

“ Och, never mind that ; I’m on sacret business (and 
he winked — which acknowledgment Jeremy con- 
sidered sufficient recognizance for any woman), and 
sure I want to consult the boss of the place.” 

“ You mean the Rabbi.” 

“ That’s it just.” 


92 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ The formalities of this house require that you 
give me your name. Who are you ; or take the other 
alternative and leave.” 

“ Oh, begorrah, it’s a fine thing to be ordered out 
of a gentleman’s house, and I a gentleman at that. 
Stand on your ceremonies and dignity, and on your 
uppers for that matter, but don’t you know me yerself, 
Molly?” 

The girl started back in surprise as she recognized 
the voice of her lover. 

Oh, Jeremy Owens, what brought you here ? Be- 
gone quickly, your life is in danger.” 

“ Hush, darlint, you wouldn’t make such a fuss if 
I were the biggest rascal in the place. I’m on busi- 
ness by order of all that’s holy, and now that you 
know who I am, name your servant anything that 
will afford him a show to have a chat with the Rabbi.” 

“Gracious heavens, Jeremy, your life would be 
destroyed should you be recognized.” 

“ Whist, Molly O, when me own darlint girl don’t 
know her own lover, how will the Rabbi himself 
know me, when I never knew him. Give me a name, 
quick.” 

“ I feel uneasy about you, Jeremy, but you might 
pass for Stephen Long the minister, with whom the 
Rabbi is little acquainted.” 

“ Excellent, me fine girl, I’ll pass for a dominie any 
day ; and when I survey meself calmly, I feel that I’m 
like his riverence — the parson.*' 

“ Alright, J eremy dear, I will announce your pres- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


93 


ence, but pray hard and fast as I fear that all will 
not turn out well.” 

The Irishman did not neglect this last advice. He 
prayed, while his knees quaked at the thought of the 
perils of his adventure ; but he had resolved to do or 
to die, and he felt that he was prepared, if he were 
compelled to suffer the extreme penalty. While thus 
planing how to act, his sweetheart came to the door : 
“ The Rabbi isn’t at home, Jeremy,” making a pro- 
found obeisance for her lover to depart. 

“ Well, you are then, Alannah, and I’m going to 
await his arrival by having a chat with you, asthore.” 
The Irishman forgot himself and laughed aloud. 

“ Hush, Jeremy, you are lost. Go out this in- 
stant. Oh, do go ! ” and she grasped him by the arm. 
“ They come ; they come. Flee for your life ! ” 
Jeremy broke from her as lie heard footsteps 
hurrying down in the hall above, and secreted him- 
self behind the door. Right opposite to where the 
sexton was hiding another door flew open, and in 
darted the doctor, his hair rising from off his knotty 
brow like an anarchist. 

“ What is the trouble ? ” 

“ Only a stranger sought to enter.” 

“ No lies, Miss ; you are in my power. Tell me 
the truth, or I’ll pluck your cursed tongue from its 
roots.” 

He advanced toward the thoroughly frightened 
girl, prancing around her, while awaiting an answer. 

“ Speak quick, or I’ll wreak vengeance upon you ! ” 


94 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


The servant stood motionless. The doctor grew 
frantic as he saw that she was determined to keep 
silence. Advancing a step nearer, he struck her a 
cruel blow across the face that laid the poor creature 
prostrate. Meanwhile Jeremy was boiling with rage 
at the impudence and effrontery of the physician. 
He had been cautioned to restrain his temper at all 
hazards, and engage is no scuffle unless his life was 
seriously threatened. His blood, nevertheless, ran 
unchecked in his veins to his head, and he forgot all 
the prudence and caution in which he had been 
schooled by the shrewd Louis. He listened a mo- 
ment, and hearing the sobs of the girl, peeped 
cautiously from behind his covert. She was still 
weeping when the doctor picked her up, and once 
more questioned the half-dazed domestic. 

“ Who was that visitor? ” 

“ Jeremy Owens, his riverence’s sarvant, you scoun- 
drel, and take that in the bargin’,” yelled the sexton, 
as he hit him a box with his clenched fist that made 
him stagger and fall in a heap in the corner, uncon- 
scious. Molly screamed and fainted. Her cry and the 
fall of the doctor brought several lodge members into 
the room in a moment. The physician lay groaning 
on the floor, while Jeremy was busily occupied fan- 
ning Molly, as unconcernedly as if he had not been a 
factor in the fight at all. 

“ What is the matter? ” shouted all in unison, and 
observing the stranger, the leader demanded, sav- 
agely : “ Who are you ? ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


95 


Jeremy was now cool. “A brother Mason,” was 
the response. 

“ What’s the name ? ” 

“ Stephen Long, the minister.” 

All the brothers approached him in turn and shook 
his hand with that peculiar grip that Mason’s mon- 
opolize. 

“ Gentlemen, my arrival was opportune. Had I not 
arrived this instant, the doctor and the servant would 
have fared badly at the hands of that confounded 
countryman of mine — the papist sexton.” 

“ What ! ” interrupted a long, lanky, crooked-legged 
brother who did business as Simon Lowe, money 
lender and broker, “ has that dare-devil entered here ? ” 

“ Yes ; and he came near paying the last act of his 
folly.” 

While Jeremy and the Jew conversed together on 
the peculiar incident, several others took hold of the 
limp form of the physician and carried it into a spaci- 
ous room at the end of the hallway. Molly having 
recovered from the shock, and being of that quick 
turn of mind for which her race is noted, .acted her 
part nicely. 

“ Fool, indeed, is that Irishman ; he thinks I love 
him. Let him beware in the future ! ” 

Molly left the room and Jeremy did likewise, at the 
invitation of his newly-acquainted brother. Jeremy 
turned pale as he saw the doctor lying on a fancifully 
carved table. . He was escorted to his side by the Jew. 
He felt his pulse, and hoped the red-headed scoundrel 


96 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


would take a long sleep. “ What if he recognized his 
disguise ? ” Did the doctor know the minister Long ? 
If so, then poor Jeremy would sink to rest without 
having accomplished anything. This thought wor- 
ried the Irishman most. He would gladly sacrifice 
his life, if by so doing he could save the curate 
and Sister Marguerite from the cares that were slow- 
ly but surely consuming their vitality away. He 
lived only for them. Such a resounding whack as he 
had administered to the physician was not to be 
gotten rid of very easily. When the practitioner of 
medicine found that he was still in the land of the 
living, he swore vengeance on the head of the Irish pap- 
ist. When Jeremy saw that he was not recognized, 
he chukled to Ijimself with delight. The doctor com- 
plained of his head and side, and he was helped to a 
small room downstairs and put to bed. Now that 
the man he feared most was removed, the sexton 
mingled more sociably with his fellows. He con- 
versed freely with all, meanwhile taking observant 
glances at the surroundings. The room in which he 
found himself was, to say the least, handsome. Walls 
finished smoothly as glassware, decorated with the 
finest oil paintings. A large golden lamp, in the 
shape of a dove, lighted up the room. Chairs of yel- 
low-colored oak with white silk coverings gave to the 
place a cheerful aspect. A large mirror framed with 
ivory and gold showed to advantage the other furni- 
ture of the room, without making it necessary for 
Jeremy to peer around too much. The carpet was 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 97 

of a light-blue velvet pattern. In the centre of the 
room, on one side of a finely carved table of mahog- 
any, was a magnificent pipe organ, and on the other 
a revolving book stand filled with many choice vol- 
umes. All these Jeremy observed at a glance. His 
thoughts were concerned about the precarious con- 
dition in which he found himself rather than on the 
beautiful place. He had chosen a bad night for such 
a daring adventure, but it was now too late to withdraw. 
He learned that a committee of his fellow Masons had 
been appointed to draw up suitable resolutions of 
regret to be presented to the Eabbi in memory of his 
deceased wife. If there were great dangers in entering 
the Manse on such a night, these were counterbalanced 
by the many advantages to be gained, if all worked 
satisfactorily. His heart beat rapidly as he learned 
that the minister was on the committee. What was 
now to be done ? It was only a question of time be- 
fore his identity would be revealed. He was at his wit’s 
end. An idea came to his mind. He would answer 
the bell and put the minister off with some well 
devised strategy ; if he failed in this, he would have 
recourse to some desperate means. He morever 
placed a great deal of confidence in Molly to assist 
him. Accordingly, when the meeting was called to 
order, Jeremy congratulated himself, as the brothers 
filed into the room accompanied by the red men, that 
the minister was absent. Suddenly a mysterious door 
opened, and there, behold ! Jeremy was face to face 
with the Rabbi. He approached slowly, and with 


98 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


well measured words addressed his assembled com- 
rades : “ Gentlemen, I will be unable to attend the 

secret conclave this evening, as pressing business de- 
mands my presence in the office. In my absence as 
chairman, if the Reverend Long is here, let him ap- 
proach and act in that capacity.” 

The Irishman was nonplussed in the very begin- 
ning of action by this act of courtesy. He arose, and 
the Rabbi having retired, all eyes were fixed on him. 
He was terribly confused, so much so that the mem- 
bers noticed it ; but deeming it nothing else than the 
high honor shown him, they applauded him vigorously 
as he was about to decline. Against every protest of his 
unfitness, he was escorted to the large soft chair which 
was placed on a platform that stood in the centre of the 
assembly. He was well-nigh giving up in despair as 
he thought upon carrying on a meeting, the nature of 
which he had never before heard. Of course he was 
wise enough not to use any form of prayer, and his first 
official act was to rap violently on the table for order 
with his gavel, though the assemblage was as still as 
Quakers. His fellow-brothers looked at him, and he 
wondered what he ought to do next. Finally, after 
much deliberation he arose, and with grace and 
suavity of manner — which were greatly affected — ad- 
dressed them : “ Comrades all, proceed with the 
business before the house.” 

“ I arise to a point of order, Mr. Chairman,” inter- 
rupted one ; “ the first business before us is for you to 
state the reason why we are assembled here.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 99 

“ Sustained, good brother ; please state the object,” 
said the sexton, naively. Highly flattered with the 
compliment, the brother again took the floor, and with 
due respect rejoined : “ The purpose of this meeting 
is to adopt resolutions of regret on the death of 
Madam Omar— the estimable wife of our Supreme 
Master.” 

No sooner had he ended than the door of the 
chamber opened with a bang, and lo ! there was the 
minister. It would be hard to describe the various 
expressions of surprise and anger that took possession 
of the Masons, and to depict the glance of the Irish- 
man as his eyes rested on the dumbfounded mien of 
the parson. Hardly a particle of difference could be 
observed between them. The one size in height and 
breadth, each having a moustache tastefully waxed, 
and both having dark hair and eyes — surely one was 
the double of the other. It was apparent to all that 
something was wrong. They seemed to be twins ; 
but the principals, as they gazed fiercely at each other, 
knew this was not the case. Undoubtedly Jeremy 
would have been satisfied to call him brother in the 
present instance, but the parson objected to this in a 
low tone which the acute ears of the sexton overheard. 
Then broke out a tumultous insurrection, which for a 
time threatened to cause bloodshed. 

“ You scoundrel ! ” shouted the Irishman at the top 
of his voice, “why have you dared to enter these sac- 
red precincts thus disguised ! ” 

“ Villain,” retorted the dominie when he heard his 

LofC. 


100 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


personality denied, “ yon are a spy. I know the track 
of your tongue. Jeremy Owens, you have — ” He did 
not finish his sentence, when the doctor, clad in his 
night attire, rushed into the council. He was like one 
beside himself with rage. He heard the name Owens 
mentioned, and that was sufficient to make his blood 
boil. He first cast his blood-shot eyes at the chair- 
man in a bewildering attitude, and a moment later, 
with a cry that nearly raised the minister off his feet, 
he yelled, “ Spy.” Instantly the lights went out ; the 
room went round like a haunted swing. Jeremy 
stared at the objects before him, and he saw in be- 
wilderment that everything had turned upside down. 
His feet moved unsteadily as his head began to 
grow dizzy. He saw the Masons, terror-stricken in 
their seats, but with heads downward, while the 
doctor, who had turned a complete somersault, still 
retained a tight hold on the minister’s throat, which 
that worthy was struggling to unloose. The scene 
shifted and a dazzling light suddenly lit up the dark- 
ness. Its glare was as bright as if a hundred electric 
lights flashed suddenly into the room. Tankards of 
cool nut-brown ale shone clear beneath the floor, 
which was transparent as glass. All the while the 
parson and the doctor fought desperately ; the others 
had vanished. The light slowly began to fade away, 
and lo! the silvery moon arose from behind two 
massive dark clouds. Soon a beautiful panorama 
appeared. The moon, bright and silvery, shed her 
graceful shadows over a marble city situated by 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSft 101 

the side of a grand river, on whose beautiful bosom 
floated innumerable gondolas of an infinite variety 
of makes and colors, propelled by dark-faced rowers* 
Church bells were sweetly tolling, and from a lofty 
tower a chorus of a thousand voices kept singing . 
“ C-od is God, and Mahomet is his prophet.” 
Dimmer grew the pale beams of the moon, and in 
the fading light could be seen two armies clashing 
together with irresistible fury. Near the mountains 
arose two vast pyramids, on whose surface were 
chiseled great frowning faces. Within their shadow 
long-robed chieftains fought under a leader entirely 
clad in white. Their reddish-black faces and ferret- 
like eyes became more fierce and fiery as they saw 
the enemy approach, laying low their ranks with 
deadly charge. The battle raged on till the few that 
remained broke ranks and fled to the temple, whose 
turrets pointed heavenward to a great height ; one of 
their number alone remained — the white-robed chief- 
tain. He in bold defiance waved his hand aloft at the 
thousands that marched down upon him and his 
empire. At some distance from him the first column 
of the army halted, and forth from its ranks came a 
small, well-built general. The two champions, armed 
with swords, met each other. No two warriors 
attracted such attention since the days of David and 
Goliath. The people from the walls of the city 
looked down upon their chieftain, and prayed with 
uplifted hands to their Allah. The soldiers of the 
conquering army watched with admiration their 


102 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

champion, and whispered a benediction to the true 
God. There was no parrying. One mighty crash, 
and both the contestants fell back wounded, in the 
dust. They arose ; this time they were a little more 
cautious. First one and then the other, made a well- 
directed thrust that was dexterously stayed. Thrice 
they came together, and thrice they fell ; but the 
smaller man sprang to the fray with the agility of a 
tiger at bay, and he laid the mighty red man down 
with a telling stroke. In a flash he was upon him, 
and the defeated warrior pleaded for mercy. The 
gallant little general put his sword into his scabbard, 
and walked back to the ranks of the army amidst 
deafening shouts of applause. There was a cry of 
despair as his less fortunate antagonist moved slowly 
to the walls of the city. The man in white saw the 
exasperated faces of the populace, and fled in haste to 
the temple, with an angry mob at his heels. The 
enraged people stood clamoring outside the edifice* 
until the wretched foe and a few followers that had 
remained faithful to him, made their appearance, 
and they were driven out of the rear end of the city. 
As they wandered over the desolate plain the moon 
sank down slowly behind the mountains and con- 
cealed their retreating footsteps. All was now 
gloomy. The scene changed, and the moon peeped 
out from behind an avalanche of black clouds, showing 
the retreat of the exiles, like spectres of the night, 
climbing up the steep ascent of a lonely mountain that 
loomed up in their way. Gradually in the glimmering 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 103 

rays of the rising sun that arose from the mighty 
ocean, there appeared a gorgeous spectacle. A city 
with high towering churches and splendidly built 
structures ascended into view on the calm and 
beautiful horizon. A death-like silence pervaded its 
walls, but without there was bustle and much prep- 
aration. The sound of the trumpet and clarion soon 
stirred up the inhabitants, who, running hither and 
thither, told those who still slept that the enemy was 
entering the city unmolested. In its ranks were men 
of all nationalities, and lo ! amongst the might soldiery 
was the same band of exiles who had fought at the 
base of the pyramids ! The soldiers marched on with- 
out doing any violence. Stealthily, the white-robed 
chieftain and his little company, which were ever at 
his side, broke from the ranks and made their way 
to a stately mansion, which they cautiously entered. 
In an instant the place was ablaze. The same 
gallant little soldier who had contended in deadly 
combat with the white-robed chieftain rushed from 
the building, clasping a women and child in his 
strong arms. Their faces struck the Irishman as 
being familiar to him. While the ten robed warriors 
enriched themselves with all they could lay their hands 
on, their white-robed leader approached to the spot 
where the father was holding the wife and child in em- 
brace, and unsheathing a large sharp-pointed dagger, 
he dashed against the general and dealt him an ugly 
gash upon the shoulder. The father relaxed his hold 
upon his darlings and fell. The child shrieked wildly 


104 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


and fell upon him, but the mother stood her ground, 
face to face with the murderous villain, and bade him 
desist from his cowardly attack. The scoundrel was 
not to be thwarted in his design. He saw the 
stricken man move, and he bounded to his side with 
flashing eyes and uplifted knife. The faithful wife 
was, however, ready to defend her prostrate husband, 
and she grasped the steel in her hand. The chieftain 
stood back aghast as he saw her bleeding hand up- 
lifted in supplication of mercy. By a sudden impulse 
he put away his weapon, and moving toward the 
woman, whispered something in her ear. She stood 
motionless, and before she realized what had oc- 
curred, the would-be assassin of her dear husband put 
around her neck a chain of magnificent jewels. This 
done, he gave a low whistle, and in a few seconds he 
and his followers were soon mingled in the van of 
the army. All these stirring events passed before 
the terrified vision of the sexton. The flames of the 
dwelling spread quickly, while mother and child were 
staunching the blood that flowed from their injured 
protector. The magnificent building was soon a piti- 
ful heap of smouldering ruins which concealed the 
picture of the wounded warrior. 

“ Bloody rascal ! ” yelled Jeremy. No sooner had 
he uttered these words than he was seconded in his 
remarks by the minister, who was undergoing a simi- 
lar test or spell. “Traitor,” was the concluding 
repartee of the Irishman. The chamber had once 
more recovered its equilibrium, and with it the much- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


105 


tried chairman. There stood before him the ugly 
doctor, like another Mephistopheles, still having a 
tight hold of the minister. 

“ You have borne the trial gallantly, Mr. Chairman, 
spoke out one of the more influential of the group. 
Here is the real spy before you. What is your 
sentence ? ” 

“ Kill him,” shouted all present with one accord, 
before the Irishman could decide what to do with 
his unlucky friend. 

“Gentlemen, I command that sentence be post- 
poned until his greatness, the Rabbi, whom he has 
offended most, may have an interview with him. 
Take him away, Brother Lowe, and see that he is 
securely confined ! ” The red-eyed physician felt 
chagrined at the commutation of the sentence. He 
was certain that an opportunity was to be given him to 
operate on the poor Irishman’s carcass, but the chair- 
man deemed otherwise, and he was supreme. Simon 
conducted the terrified parson away to his cell, all 
the while that poor dignitary proclaiming that he 
was not the right man; but Jeremy had given his 
decree, and he must undergo the penalty. After some 
time had elapsed Simon Lowe returned, having bound 
the minister in a cell, and coming to the chair where 
Jeremy was exercising his office as High Mason, 
began to converse with him in a low voice. 

“ You have acted well your part, Jeremy.” 

" Och, and is this yerself, Louis ? and shure both 
of us are playing the same trick. How did you get 


106 THE UNCKOWNED PBINCE ; OB, 

that hump on yer back and that crank in yer leg ? 
Oh, and how did I stand the trial ? ” 

“ Very good. But I’m afraid that your last words 
will demand of you another test.” 

“ Begorrah, and is it another. After all, it was not 
so bad for a man with a clear conscience to stand. 
Louis, what was done with meself and his riverence ? 
I saw all sorts of queer things, from a ghost to a 
banshee.” 

“You know better than I. However, from the 
peculiar actions of the doctor, I judge that he is a 
mesmerist or hypnotist or a magician.” 

“ Is it one of those fellows that turns a fellow in- 
side out and back again into himself without him 
knowing it ? ” 

“ Enough, Jeremy ; be cautious, and all will turn out 
right. This is a mighty strange house.” 

“I believe you, me boy, and I’ll do what you say.” 
When Simon Low r e, or rather Louis James, resumed 
his seat, the sexton knocked again for silence, from 
force of habit, though you could hear a pin drop. 

“ The question, gentlemen, before the meeting is, 
whether or not we shall adopt resolutions in behalf 
of the Babbi’s wife. What is your pleasure ? ” 

“ You mistake the purport of this gathering. The 
motion has been already carried, and now we only 
need to draw up suitable resolutions, have them 
framed, and present them as soon as possible to your 
Grand Master, and thus show our sympathy in unmis- 
takable terms.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 107 

“ And does the Rabbi want our sympathy ? ” in- 
quired Sir Lowe. 

“ Certainly,” snarled several voices, looking con- 
temptously at the money-lender, who, they were 
aware, was against any proposition that might de- 
mand the giving up of any of his precious metal, 
which he fairly worshipped. 

“ Oh, well, I would like to object.” 

They all thought that he was going to stand firm 
on the financial question, and some of them dug down 
deeply into their pockets for their wallets to pay the 
bill for having the resolutions embossed, but in this 
they were greatly mistaken, as he proceeded : 

“ And does the Rabbi need our sympathy for an- 
other man’s wife ? I presume that if such resolutions 
were offered to him he would feel highly insulted.” 

The doctor bit his tongue with rage. He had 
never before met with opposition to anything that he 
proposed, and he fairly growled as he gazed on the 
money-lender a second time, who stood with a smile 
of self-congratulation at trying to defy the passing 
of the proposition. At last the ungovernable temper 
of the physician burst forth : 

“ S he was his wife and of royal blood.” 

“ Royal, indeed — too royal to become another 
man’s wife while her husband still lived.” 

The bitter remarks of the artist provoked the con- 
troversy he had skilfully planned. 

“ But was she not divorced ? ” questioned the blear- 
eyed medicine man. 


108 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ ‘Once bound, never broken,’ says Scripture.” 

“ Fie with the Scripture ! An idle book has idle 
sayings,” ejaculated the doctor, scoffingly. 

The debate was waxing hot when the gavel sounded. 
The two debaters sat down and the Irishman arose. 

“ It has been proposed that our noble organization 
and brotherhood extend heartfelt regards to ‘ Omar’ 
in his sad misfortune. The question comes back 
again : Was she another man’s wife ? For want of 
information, I deem it advisible that this honorable 
body inquire into the circumstances of their said 
relationship.” 

The majority applauded the remarks of the chair- 
man as he took his seat. The Irishman was now 
master of the situation. He saw with precision what 
was required of him, and he understood how to carry it 
out. It is true that he had no schooling, but having 
lived in a lawyer’s house in Dublin, he managed to 
pick up “ a little bit of delivery,” as he expressed it. 
The effort on such a momentous occasion was worthy 
of him. He managed to put away to some extent, 
the brogue which characterized his usual addresses, 
and imitate the polished style of his minister-friend, 
who was born in the hot-bed of Orangeism in the 
north of Ireland. 

“ I consider,” responded a heavy set man who spoke 
through a large peaked nose, “ that our honorable 
chairman’s remarks are apropos. I, for one, will 
never sign a document which I do not understand.” 

The fat man was evidently excused on account of 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


109 


his avoirdupois from taking the floor, as he de- 
livered his speech from a pent up position against the 
wall. His sentences were of the drolling sort — those 
of an individual whose sole ambition in life seemed to 
be placed in being able to draw out a comfortable ex- 
istence, which was a pretty hard task to do under such 
rotundity. Having drawn a sufficient quantity of 
breath — his former supply being exhausted by his 
former eloquence — he continued : “ The seal of our 

grand society demands a thorough knowledge of the 
subject before it authorizes the chairman to stamp his 
hand to any bill for which our organization would be 
held responsible. In the present instance, the gentle- 
man in whose favor we are to express our sincere 
friendship in this sad hour of his bereavement is 
known to all Masonic circles. Who has not heard of 
Rabbi Omar, the Prince of the East, our Grand Master, 
leader and advocate ? and still I am forced to confess 
that I know very little of his personality.” 

“ What ! Mr. Rompkins, would you have his history 
unfolded when a spy lurks around ? ” 

This assertion was brought up by a chronic dyspep- 
tic man, and instantly put the chamber in an uproar. 

“ Where? where?” shouted each in louder tones 
than his fellow. Jeremy had now an opportunity to 
show his control over the infuriated body, and he 
rapped for order until the gavel broke, and forgetting 
himself, he leaped on the table and danced a reel with 
madness. 

“ Order ! order ! ” he cried. 


110 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE J OR, 


“ Not until you are safe behind bars. You are the 
traitor, ” yelled the chronic man. The Irishman felt 
for his revolver, but before he could use it he was 
seized by several strong arms, and after a desperate 
struggle, landed safely in prison — there once more to 
share the company of his friend the minister. The 
cleverness of the artist was manifested in every act. 
While the scuffle lasted in which Jeremy was being 
dragged to the cell, he managed to land a few sting- 
ing blows upon the howling doctor’s pate — blows that 
were directed at the struggling spy, but which, for 
some unexplained reason, fell short of their mark. Th e 
doctor swore more fiercely every time he received one, 
but an apology was some retribution. After the 
trouble had subsided — without even an invitation — 
the doctor took the chair. The meeting was then 
called to order for the third time. The red-eyed 
physician was about to question, but the artist arose 
and claimed the floor. He saw that further opposi- 
tion on his part might cause suspicion, and in order 
to ward it off, he began a ringing speech in favor of 
the resolutions. 

“We know that our Master Mason has been one of 
the foremost members of our organization since its 
foundation. He worked zealously for the moral 
advancement and well-being of his fellow- members, 
and the least we can do is to show our sympathy for 
him in his misfortune, in the manner agreed upon. 

His winning words told with all present, and they 
applauded him vigorously. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. Ill 

“ How much storm has not been maliciously raised 
against our director since the time of the accident ! 
When misfortune comes to a family, it never comes 
single-handed. The people at large have expressed 
little sorrow with the prince in bis affliction. Cal- 
umny has stood up against him. The secret designs 
of this house are suspected. Spies are at work. 
Let us then right the wrong that lies in the hearts 
and minds of men outside our society.” 

The room resounded with applause. 

“ How can we best do it ? I would answer with 
Mr. Rompkins’ well weighed remarks. Let us under- 
stand each other. Double-dealing must be unknown 
to any of our sacred band. If we have a secret, it 
must come out, and while the world may try to ascer- 
tain it, we alone must treasure it up in our hearts.” 

The concluding remarks of the Jew caused a hila- 
rious uproar. 

“ Who is at the bottom of the conspiracy against 
the House of Omar,” queried the fat man from his 
seat in the corner. 

“ The papists,” roared the doctor. They spread 
dangerous reports against our master, because I 
resented the superstitious prayers of my sweetheart 
at the burial of Lady Omar.” 

“ What are the charges, doctor, ” asked the fat man 
again, “ that they lay at the prince’s door ? ” 

“ All that Romanistic minds can imagine : ‘ Mur- 
der, robbery, divorce, and infidelity,’ and a whole 
.series of the most degrading kind.” 


112 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Think you they need no investigation ? ” was the 
sarcastic rejoiner of Rompkins. 

“ No, no ; they are absolutely false in each partic- 
ular.” 

The young artist stood listening to the conversation 
with apparent indifference, which he was forced to 
change to one of intense inquiry as he heard the iden- 
tical crimes that Sister Marguerite had so often 
enumerated, repeated now by the ugly quack. 

“ For the benefit of those present, I will narrate the 
romantic life of our Grand Master,” replied the 
physician, cynically. “ When Paris was attacked by 
the allied armies of Europe under Wellington and 
Bleucher in 1815, the Rabbi, who had been a caliph 
in the Far-off East, and heir apparent to the throne of 
the Mamelukes, came with a band of royal followers 
and joined the army of the German general against 
Napoleon, who had devastated the kingdom of Omar 
and dragged him from the right of throneship at 
the battle of the Pyramids. The gates of Paris 
opened to this conqueror without any bloodshed* 
One night while the army lay encamped within the 
walls, one of the royal palaces was accidentally set on 
fire by the discharge of a bomb. A detachment under 
the prince was sent to the rescue of the inhabitants 
of the burning building. Boldly our master entered, 
and in danger to his own life he came to a room in 
which he found an old gentleman, his wife and child. 
The prince seized the woman and child, and when 
he had carried them to a place of safety he returned 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


113 


and gallantly rescued the man, who was seriously 
wounded and who would have perished in the flames 
were it not for the bravery of the prince. The mother 
and child were exceedingly grateful to him for his 
heroic act, but the old man only cursed him for his 
pains. At that moment the prince recognized the 
face of the wounded man, and behold ! it was the 
general whose life he had spared on the plains of his 
native country. His ingratitude moved the prince to 
tears, seeing which, the old man was touched, and 
weeping bitterly, begged our master’s pardon, which 
was readily granted. The general, feeling that his 
end was drawing to a close, recommended his wife and 
daughter to the Kabbi’s care. He looked well after 
his charge, and provided ample means of support and 
a suitable home for his charges until he would return 
for them from the campaign in which he had enlisted. 
He left Paris, and an adventurous life was in store 
for him until after the Eastern war, when he came 
back to Paris and to his sorrow found that the woman 
and child that were entrusted to him had gone to seek 
his whereabouts in America. Immediately the 
prince and his followers, having no settled abode, 
sailed thither, and a few years’ search brought them 
together in the Yellow Manse, where he married the 
general’s wife. This is the history of his life in 
brief. Whatever may contradict my narrative is false. 
I suppose his romantic career has somewhat leaked 
out, and the idle and corrupted imagination of crazy- 
headed papists have contrived to invent some vile 


114 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


fabric which would tell against him in the courts of the 
city.” When the doctor paused, there was no further 
questioning. “ There is a motion before the house 
that suitable resolutions be drawn up and presented 
to our Grand Master. All in favor ? ” There was 
no objection, and the motion was unanimously car- 
ried. 

“ The committee shall consist of Simon Lowe, the 
Reverend Long, when that gentleman’s identity can 
be proved, and myself. When we shall assemble to 
decide the fate of the spy to-morrow night, we shall 
then perform the task imposed upon us.” The meet- 
ing was adjourned. 

The ugly red-haired doctor concluded all the busi- 
ness in quick order. He put the motion, seconded it, 
and named the committee, and adjourned the meet- 
ing, all in a breath. The Masons departed one after 
another from the Yellow Manse, and took different 
directions to their respective homes. Louis was the 
last to leave ; he disliked to go and leave poor Jeremy 
behind, but he knew that he could not rescue him with- 
out spoiling the chances of acquiring more knowledge 
the next morning, and, perhaps, of hearing the secret 
revealed. He was consoled that no serious harm would 
happen the sexton for the remainder of the night, and 
relied on his own ability and tact to rescue his friend 
when the danger would be greatest. The doctor 
accompanied Louis to the door and bade him a pleas- 
ant good night as he descended the steps of the mys- 
terious mansion. The physician remained, fastening 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


115 


securely the door behind which was the mystery. 
Louis sauntered homeward by a roundabout way. He 
watched cautiously that no one dogged his footsteps, 
and as he entered the old-fashioned stone rectory in 
the rear, his thoughts were mingled with sadness and 
joy. His mind was a blank as he lay his weary head 
upon his pillow and fell asleep. 


CHAPTER V. 


WHEN LOYE IS IN EARNEST. 

||HE Irishman, bound hand and foot, spent a 
sleepless night upon the stone floor of his 
cell. True, he had a companion, but misery 
in his predicament did not want such companionship. 
What fate awaited him when he would be recognized, 
was the absorbing topic that worried him. He cared 
not so much to die as to leave the mystery unsolved. 
How had Louis fared ? 

“ It may be, perhaps, the lot of us both to die 
together,” he began to lisp aloud in his [accustomed 
way. “ Wirra, wirra, it’s not for a man to be thinkin’ 
about himself all the time.” 

He listened a moment, and continued in his solilo- 
quizing strain. 

“ Mayn’t the walls have ears ? Spake aisy, me boy, 
I’m told they tell a terrible lot sometimes.” 

Fortunate enough would he have been, if he had 
followed his own suggestion. Although the minister, 


116 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


who occupied the same cell with him, snored loudly, 
an enemy more to be feared than the much-persecuted 
dominie, was lurking around. The doctor was on the 
alert, noting every remark that fell from the lips of 
the prisoner. Revenge was his sole purpose. He 
had ever regarded the parson with suspicion since the 
time he had refused to marry him to Miss Angelina 
against her will. This was the reason that he did 
not strive to discover the identity of the minister on 
that night and permit him to go free. Moreover, he 
fancied under the circumstances, that the worthy divine 
might condescend to tie the knot if an opportunity 
should answer. Of course his chief design was to 
catch the spy, and he was not altogether sure which 
was really the parson, as he was but little acquainted 
with him. He had remembered the sound blow that 
he received from the sexton, and he awaited an oppor- 
tunity to glut his vengeance upon him. At last his 
listening ears were rewarded with the news which 
startled him. The Irishman, muttering aloud, went 
on : “I played a trump card to-day, begorrah, until 
the red-headed rascal caught on to the trick. Och, if 
me old mother, God rest her soul, saw me now in a 
din of thieves and murderers and “ whatnots,” she’d 
give me a prayer that would not find me in such devil - 
like company again. Of coorse, I’m caught like a rat 
in a trap, but when the dog comes to give me a shake, 
he’ll find me a hard lad to tackle. The interest of 
meself, me girl, me dear priests and the poor Sister 
Marguerite, are all at stake, and all me friends must 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 117 

know one day that I was true to the last. Indade, this 
is a queer house, so it is. Talk about fairy tales, and 
the good people, and ghosts, and banshees, — I’ve 
never seen the like to bate all the things that I saw 
this day. I might as well say that I don’t know 
what happened as to tell what occurred in this en- 
chanted Mansion. Shure a man sees mighty queer 
things when he’s half-intoxicated, but. here I am me- 
self as sober as his riverence Father Matthew ever 
was. The Irishman broke off his drifting conversa 
tion, but soon wandered on again : “ Oh, bless me soul, 
if Father Kogers had given me the powers of drivin’ 
out the devil as I asked him, no better fun I’d like 
than usin’ it on the devils of this place and scourin’ 
it of their presence. I must, however, confide in the 
powers above to shield me from those below. And 
at any rate, God is stronger than the devil.” 

The doctor here laughed so unpleasantly loud 
that Jeremy blessed himself. 

“ They’re exercisin’ their pranks again. Oh, then, 
wouldn’t I like to be among them with a good old 
Irish stick with plenty of thorns on it, and spirits 
or men, I’d make them do a hornpipe.” 

All was now quite as the sexton ceased speaking. 
The doctor thought that he had been discovered, and 
crouched lower in the dark corner in which he was 
hiding. He almost feared to breathe ; but in a few 
minutes he was relieved from his anxiety by the 
revelation the sexton delivered to himself. 

“Arrah, but taking me position soberly and sensibly, 


118 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


I’m not much to be pitied, if the scoundrels only leave 
me head sound. I learned a good bit of the Mystery 
from the test. I have put two and two together, and 
maybe me judgment is right : Those cities and bat- 
tles, real or pictorial, have set me on the proper track. 
How does this go ? Old Omar married the wife of 
the soldier that he stabbed. Och, but the soldier 
himself might have lived on. The two things seem 
contradictory. If she were a lady, it would not be 
like her to have married the man that struck her 
husband ; but this is a foolish world, and the wisest 
of us sometimes become fools, and the most foolish 
sometimes become wise. And then, secondly, she 
might have got a divorce ; but there is nothing more 
unnatural than that. It is a great country where you 
can marry, be divorced and marry again. I’m won- 
derin’ to meself that there aint uprisin’s every day. 
Son against father, and daughter against mother. 
Grantin’ that divorce be in the case, I can explain 
the rest aisy enough. Any woman capable of marry- 
ing another man while her husband lives, will neither 
stop at murder or infidelity. Yet, I’ll never grant 
that this good lady did this. I’m rather mixed up. 
The Mystery is darker than ever. Oh, if I could tell 
all I know to me darlint, and she, poor creature, could 
carry it straight to the priests, then would me duty 
be fulfilled. Farewell, I would say to Molly, the idol 
of me life, and tell her I sacrificed all for a good pur- 
pose. And, oh, for a blessin’ from the young and the 
old priest, and a look at poor Sister Marguerite, and 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


119 


a shake of the hand with me friend Louis who has to 
fight the battles alone. Little does he know how she 
loves him. Miss Angelina told me by her own lips 
that he was the nicest gentleman she ever met. Oh, 
could I but tell him, and tell her the self-same story 
of how he loves her, then I would rest aisy in this 
life, or in the next, as quick as God wishes to call me.” 

He had hardly ended his lament when the cell 
door sprung open, and the madly-jealous doctor 
rushed in, stumbling over the sleeping form of the 
minister, falling heavily on the stone floor. He arose 
slowly, and turning upon the parson, gave him several 
knocks that made him yell murder. The light of day 
had not as yet penetrated the prison, and all was 
dark as night within the cell. The doctor was now 
sadly at a loss to tell which one had been speaking, 
and this troubled him far more than the fall he had 
received. His red-gnarled hair rose from his cross- 
grained forehead, while his red ferret eyes flashed 
fire under his shaggy-haired eyebrows. In his mad 
desperation he gave both a beating. Jeremy bore 
his punishment without a wince. This only served 
to strengthen the doctor’s belief that he was beating 
the wrong man, and again mistaking the Keverend 
Stephen Long for the Irishman, he began to pummel 
him roughly. The sexton viewed the situation coolly 
as the blear-eyed quack addressed the much-mis- 
taken parson. 

“ So you have dared to spy into this house. Unless 
you tell all the secret stories that have been circu- 


120 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


lated against it, I shall spill out every drop of your 
heart’s blood.” 

Saying this, he drew out his sharp-pointed dagger. 

“ Oh, mercy ! man, mercy ! I am — ” 

“ You are a spy.” 

“ No, no.” 

“ Liar, I heard the story that escaped your lips. 
Come, quickly, tell me who you are.” 

“Stephen Long — the preacher.” 

“ Fool, you are putting your life to a briefer per- 
iod!” 

He struck the minister another blow. Things had 
gone about far enough to suit Jeremy. He was will- 
ing that his friend in misfortune should share a little 
suffering with him in a good cause, but it was going 
too far altogether. He had got one of his hands 
free, and he was determined to use it shortly, unless 
better treatment was shown his fellow-prisoner. 
Again the doctor shouted : “ Your name ! ” 

The minister was silent. Once more, and with a 
terrible oath, he repeated : “ Your name ! Is it 
Owens? ” 

“No,” was the only response, and the enraged 
medicine man struck him once more. In the meantime 
the minister had contemplated some sort of defense, 
and made strenuous efforts to unloose his bonds. 

“ Enough of such work, doctor ; wait until he is 
found guilty and has vindicated my name and title.” 

“ Be still, parson, you shall not dictate to me what 
I am to do.” 


THE MYSTEKY OE THE YELLOW MANSE. 


121 


Out of pure maliciousness he kicked the minister, 
but before he could repeat his cowardly act the 
Irishman dealt him a box that sent him spinning 
over the dominie. The latter had got one hand loose, 
and while Jeremy knelt upon him, Stephen evened up 
matters by punishing the doctor severely. The 
Irishman secured the dangerous knife, and now the 
burly physician was in a worse plight than either of 
the prisoners. He could not raise himself to his feet. 
His reddish eyes were partly closed, and he pouted 
like an overgrown child. For some time he lay 
moaning bitterly, when suddenly he jumped to his 
feet, and whipping out his revolver : “ Have you 
crossed my path again ? ” said he, pointing the pistol 
in the face of Jeremy. There was no deceiving the 
doctor, as the morning sun peeped into the cell. 

“ Your life is short, young man, and you must needs 
be serious.” 

“ Serious, indade — it’s too serious I am, lying here 
on the broad of me back without a drink to slacken 
me thirst the live-long night.” 

“ No dallying, man, you are treating with one that 
is desperate. I heard much from your lips —news 
that is useful to me. I must learn more — else I’ll 
shoot you down like a dog.” 

“ Please, sir, what did you hear ? ” 

“ You have dared to enter the secret chamber of our 
order, and if you wish to die quickly and without 
pain, answer me this, or I will reserve you for the 
torture. 


122 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Who is the man who loves Miss Angelina ? ” 

The Irishman was aroused to the perilous position 
in which he found himself. 

“ Oh, sir, there are many that love and admire that 
same darlint, and if I can believe me own eyes, there’s 
no one that loves her more dearly than yourself.” 

This unexpected compliment, while checking the 
wrath of the blear-eyed Mason, did not answer the 
question. 

“ That is not enough. Tell me candidly, does she 
love another ? ” 

“ I suppose she is like every girl of her beauty — 
she knows how to appreciate a young man when or 
wherever she sees him.” 

“ Your moments of life are few unless you answer 
me quickly : Who is the man she loves most ? ” 

“ None more than yerself perhaps.” 

“Have you this from her own lips? ” 

“ I never asked her, but then she told me she had 
a fancy for yerself.” 

This language tickled thedoctor, yet the blood of 
rancor still coursed in his veins. 

“ Have I a rival ? ” 

“ Yes; to be simple, sir.” 

“ Who is he ? ” 

“ Meself, sir.” 

“ So then you are in love with Miss Angelina. Ha ! 
you look nice in chains,” said he, with an attempt at 
smiling. 

“ Och, maybe I look as well as yerself,” and the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 123 

Irishman laughed heartily. “ I know, were it not for 
circumstances, she’d have me long ago.” 

“ Oh, she wants wealth and beauty.” 

“I don’t know about the money part of it, but 
trust me, if she wants the beauty side of it, I still got 
a store the better of ye.” 

At this stiff rejoiner the doctor danced around the 
floor like a maniac ; he swore against himself and the 
Irishman. 

“ You have responded to all my questions in an 
ambiguous manner. No tomfoolery, spy, you .are in 
my hands ; who is the favored suitor? ” 

“ One whom she fairly worships, but I believe, like 
a fool, he loves another.” 

“ His name.” 

“Louis James.” 

“ Yes ; ’tis he whom I suspected whose suit is most 
favored.” 

“ Favor or no, he loves Miss Angelina as much as 
he does you, and between us both, that’s very little.” 

“ You seem to know the young man well.” 

“ Pshaw ! why wouldn’t I ? ” 

“ What do you know about him ? ” 

“ Well, without going into particulars, he is as fine 
a fellow within as without. Would that your face 
had that gentle and nice expression of Mr. James, 
and you were as free from sin as that gentleman.” 

“ Bosh ! I am to understand that you met Miss 
Angelina.” 

“ Yes, often ; yet not often enough.” 


124 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ What business had you to transact with her ? 

“ Simply tell her, like yerself, that I loved her, and 
then arrange it so that me friend Louis could do the 
same. I’d like to see her darlint face just now, and 
I’d bet me life she’d do a good turn for us both.” 

“ She can do me no good.” 

“ Do you not love her ? ” 

“ Ah ! you have guessed correctly.” 

“ Well, then, put away that instrument that you 
are so carelessly thumbing, and I’ll arrange a meetin’ 
for you.” 

“ A meeting ; impossible. Ha ! ha ! you know that 
I love her.” 

“ To be sure, sir, I know everything that goes on 
under this roof.” 

The doctor instantly raised his revolver. Then 
you shall keep your secret to yourself. He fired, but 
the bullet merely grazed his head, though it was fired 
point blank at the sexton’s face. 

“ Mercy ! mercy ! ” cried the Irishman. He saw that 
he had made a mistake. The minister awoke from 
his dejection with a startled cry of pity, supplicating 
in behalf of Jeremy. 

“ One minute longer,” begged that worthy. 

“ Given,” said the doctor, with a kind of hellish 
glee. 

“ I wish one favor before me end arrives,” spoke 
the sexton, recovering his self-possession. 

“ What is it ? ” 

“ Please take a message to my beloved Miss An- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


125 


gelina, and give it to her through Molly Liffey.” 

“ Indeed, you ask this request boldly ; only think 
that a few moments lie between you and eternity — 
aye, a moment. The gulf to death is bridged by a 
very narrow margin, and you can little afford to show 
your face at the gate of eternity so quickly by daring 
to send a letter to my affianced.” 

The coolness of the Irishman overcame the wrath 
of the Mason. The Irishman understood this, and 
acted accordingly. He carefully avoided anything 
about the secrets of the lodge, and renewed the 
inquiry of Angelina. 

“ You can never win that lady without me consent.” 

“Fool ! it matters little to me whether you give it 
or not, provided she accepts my hand.” 

“ But this she shall never do, because I have her 
in me power. You love this miss dearly, and I 
confess that I once had some affection for her, but 
another man stood in me way, and that was yerself.” 

“Then you were jealous of me.” 

“ Of coorse, I felt a bit chagrined at me rejection, 
and that was all.” 

“ Did you seek another sweetheart ? ” 

“ Yer jokin’ now ; ask yerself, friend, if you were 
deprived of yer darlintest little love, would you go 
and give her up and look out for one not half so 
pretty and so fair ? Oh, no ! I took the matter up 
seriously, and finally resolved that if she wanted to 
court me any more she would have to come to me 
first.” 


126 


THE UNCROWNED PItINCE ; OR, 


“ She never came.” 

“ Begorrah, remorse overtook her, and she came 
indeed, and told me plainly that she would have noth- 
ing more to do with me. I agreed with her at last, 
but in order to repay me for me stolen affections, I 
made her promise that she would grant me one favor.” 

“ What was that ? ” 

“ Well, I never asked it ; but I will be at your sar- 
vice if you consent to give her a note.” 

“ On one condition — that she give me one half 
hour’s conversation.” 

“ 111 wish that, sir,” and Jeremy began to jot down 
a few lines, though he was never master of any more 
than pot-hook letters. “ Anyhow, began the Irishman 
in his usual manner of talking to himself, “ as I must 
endure the extreme penalty, I’m privileged to say 
what I think proper,” and growing eloquent, he broke 
out into a loud strain. “ And sure there’s nothing 
wrong in saying that the devil has a good hold on 
yer lean carcass.” 

The sarcasm of the sexton produced a volley of 
oaths from the ugly red Mason which was terrible 
to hear. 

“ Oh, didn’t I declare the truth,” he continued, 
unconscious of the effect his soliloquy was working 
in the unbalanced temper of his jailer. 

“No one but a tinker would swear such dreadful 
things, and I know meself that every tinker has some 
alliance with the old boy. Mighty indeed is the 
simple term called love.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


127 


This delighted or wrinkled the hearing of the doc- 
tor, according to the way it was manipulated by the 
sexton. It had reduced a desperate villain to a 
simple fool. The doctor heard the whole party con- 
cerned in the attempt to reveal the secrets of the 
“Yellow Manse.” Nevertheless, he would sacrifice 
the most solemn oaths of his brotherhood — aye, even 
the darkest secret of the Rabbi, to obtain the hand of 
Lady Angelina. She had rejected him on every 
occasion that he had made protestations of his effec- 
tions for her — whether publicly or privately. Yet he 
would suffer a thousand greater rebuffs if in the end 
he could call her his own. 

" In love — I think that’s the expression they use 
when a lad does all sorts of queer antics.” 

“ And do I act thus ? ” 

“ Maybe ; I don’t know for certain, but I see from 
experience that yer crazy in love with Miss Angelina, 
and therefore not to be trusted with this letter.” 

“ Why, sir ? ” 

“ Because she loves me, and we are rivals. Am I 
then to confide me secrets to your ears ? ” 

« She loves me not,” yelled the doctor, piqued at 
the ironical sayings of the Irishman. He danced up 
and down the cell like a Comanche Indian singing a 
death song. “ She shall one day.” 

“ Shure she will, if ye put your case into me hands.” 

“ Can you do something for me ? ” 

“ Do, is it? — certainly.” 

“ How?” 


128 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Take these chains from about me legs.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! I cannot release you. The Rabbi has 
sent word that you must stand trial to-night in his 
presence. What would become of me if I were to 
let you escape ? The secrets of the Manse would be 
revealed, and death would be our only relief from a 
wicked and deceitful world. I have sworn that your 
secrets, whatever they be, shall die with you.” 

“ Well, then, I’m satisfied and happy, since goin’ to 
me grave, I’ll know that you’ll never become the hus- 
band of Miss Angelina without me consent. Let me 
give you a straight tip, sir, that you have no quality 
to recommend to her. You are blear-eyed and red- 
headed. To be sure you may have money, but that 
will never obtain the promise you seek from that 
beautiful young lady.” Jeremy spoke with great 
deliberation. 

“ I have sworn, I have sworn,” replied the Mason, 
excitedly. 

“ Don’t break yer oaths for me. God knows yer 
soul at present is black enough ; but remember well, 
and keep it safe in yer mind, that you’ll never have 
the meetin’ you crave, nor the hand of the pretty 
mistress of the manor.” 

“ You can refuse me everything but consent to the 
marriage.” 

“Och, but I’m thinkin’ that old Omar has some- 
thing to say about that.” 

The Mason was sadly perplexed by every retort 
that the Irishman gave, but he was thrown into a 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 129 

worse plight by the tinkling of a bell which resounded 
in the cell. Without the least hesitation he quickly 
loosened the chains that bound the sexton. 

“ Free the poor parson while ye’re at it, for God 
knows he has suffered enough, between us. The physi- 
cian deeming that the granting of this request was a 
matter of diplomacy, soon set at liberty the stiffened 
limbs of the minister. 

“ The note, hurry ! ” Jeremy handed him a small 
piece of paper. 

“ When will the meeting take place ? ” 

“ When you find it convenient.” 

There were sounds of footsteps without, and the 
doctor signalled the Rabbi’s followers to enter. They 
wore mantles of coarse red material. The sun’s rays 
by this time peered through the prison windows, and 
reflected upon their dark, reddish faces, and made 
their little black eyes sparkle like diamonds. The 
sudden appearance of the men struck terror in the 
heart of Jeremy, not because their faces looked so sav- 
age, but because they resembled ghostlike individuals 
whom he had seen when he was undergoing the 
Masonic test. What he considered a frightful dream 
was now a decided reality. His short sturdy frame 
shook with emotion as the doctor seized him and led 
him by the arm behind the procession of red men. 
They entered a mysterious hall. On either side 
appeared all kinds of statuary. All the Greek and 
Roman divinities were there represented in bold 
relief. Old arms and weapons of all descriptions 


130 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


were piled up iu huge heaps. Pictures of rare 
beauty — of which he could only catch a glimpse under 
the yellow glare of the light of the torches which his 
captors carried, showed exquisite taste and workman- 
ship. When at last they came to a halt, his eyes 
rested on the picture of the Blessed Virgin, the beauty 
and execution of which were incomparable. The feat- 
ures seemed to express a familiar likeness to him. 
Oh, it w~as his good mother looking down upon him 
in his misery. A large iron door was suddenly 
opened, and the group disappeared in the darkness. 


CHAPTER VI 

CONFLICTING MESSAGES. 

the plain, modest parlor of the rectory sat 
the two priests and Sister Marguerite and 
her companion, talking in subdued tones. 
It was approaching midday. They were evidently 
most anxious about something, for their faces, which 
were filled with gloomy forebodings, bore out their 
sentiments. A knocker resounded on the door, and 
all three stood up to welcome the young artist. As 
soon as he had seated himself, Father Rogers began : 

“ My boy, we felt worried about you. Where have 
you been ? Have you any news from Jeremy ? ” 

The face of Louis turned pale as he heard the name 
of his dear friend. Quickly recovering himself, he 
asked with composure : 



THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


131 


“ Is Jeremy absent again ? ” 

“ Yes,” replied the rector, “ we have not seen him in 
two days. This is something unusual. Occasionally 
he would go off for a little relaxation, but that would 
not last, at most, more than twenty-four hours. I fear 
for him ; the times are wicked.” 

“ Any news from the mansion ? ” inquired the 
curate. Before the artist could answer, a second 
knock was heard on the door. Louis opened it, and 
a small boy delivered to him two messages. He in- 
quired where he had got them. The lad stammered 
out that they were given to him by a red-haired man. 
This was certainly strange. Two messages from the 
doctor, with Jeremy’s hieroglyphics on one of them. 
The more he queried the boy, the more earnestly the 
latter declared that what he said was true. Feeling 
satisfied that the lad told the truth, the artist dis- 
missed him with a silver piece. He read the note, or, 
more properly, deciphered it, as he had instructed 
the unscholarly Irishman in a code of signals that 
were known only to pupil and teacher. It was trans- 
lated as follows : 

“Dear Louis, meet your darlint girl at eleven to-night in 
the Manse. 

“ Jeremy.” 

The artist grew flushed with anger for a moment 
and in a subdued voice said : “ Neither Miss An- 

gelina nor Jeremy sent this.” 

He looked up from the paper, and to his astonish- 
ment saw all three looking at him in wonderment, for 


132 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


they had heard him mention half-audibly those names 
that were so affiliated to each one of them. 

“Oh, I have been, as usual, day-dreaming,” re- 
marked the artist, apologetically, trying to suppress 
the violent emotions that were rising in his bosom. 
Just then the pastor came to the rescue. “ There is 
no use of concealment ; you love Miss Angelina ! ” 

“ Jeremy understands his business.” 

“ Is that the Lady of the Manse across the way.” 

“Yes,” mildly responded the artist. 

A rigid whiteness beamed from the dark-complex- 
ioned youth. Sister Marguerite then spoke to him. 
Every word that she uttered, for some unexplained 
reason, stirred him up to an uncontrollable kind of fear 
for which he could not account. He longed to ask 
her many questions. Jeremy had told him a weird 
tale, and perhaps after all there might be some truth 
to it. He held in reserve a stock of secrets that she 
might aid him to unfold, but he disdained to agitate 
her timid soul by problems so dark and deep that he 
himself could not refrain from shuddering as he 
thought of them. He feared that the very nun before 
him was deeply connected in some way or other with 
the wonderful old house. He suspected that many 
crimes were committed within that dismal abode, and 
no wonder he dreaded any revelations that might be 
made ; yet he had a problem to solve, and he hoped 
that God would help him to surmount the difficulties 
that lay in his path. 

“ 0 great heaven! ” he breathed in his inmost soul, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 133 

** suppose the relatives of the good Superioress of St. 
Mary’s were among the workers of iniquity ? Scandal, 
that base monster which is hated by society more 
than any other evil, would break that noble woman’s 
heart.” The keen eye of Sister Marguerite saw the 
trouble that was working in the mind of the artist. 

“ Speak out, Louis — who is this Miss Angelina ? ” 

“ Madam Omar, the daughter of an Eastern prince.” 

“Was she born in the East? ” 

“ I think not, Sister.” 

“ Louis, remember she is an infidel, and in order to 
win her, you must first convert her,” replied the 
pastor. 

The pale cheeks of the artist blushed crimson. 

“ I think, Father Eogers, she is a believer in Christ.” 

“Why, then, does she not show it? She never 
attends to her duties.” 

“ I think she is forbidden to do so by the hypnotic 
power of her keeper.” 

“Yes ; a prisoner,” urged Sister Marguerite. 

“Well, if such be the case, can you not rescue 
her? ” interposed the curate, addressing Louis. 

“ It is hardly possible at present. She is watched 
continually. Moreover, she would not flee alone, as 
two children, in whom she takes the greatest interest, 
would remain behind, and naturally she could not be 
induced to forsake them.” 

“ My friend, pardon me, but I think you have 
things slightly mixed up. Can it be that a lady is a 
prisoner in her own house ? ” 


134 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ Father Delon, I confess that I am somewhat 
puzzled over the circumstances of the case.” 

After some moments pause the nun’s mind, which 
found no rest, sought some relief in interrogating or 
repeating the facts which nearly made up her sad 
existence. 

“ But tell me all you have learned, Mr. James, of 
the lady ; she must be the retainer of the secret of 
my father’s death. Having come to that, my mother 
and sister may be traced out. Nigh twenty years 
have elapsed since I heard from my beloved ones, 
when lo ! I heard the horrifying tale of murder from 
my dying father’s lips. Oh, Louis, you have promised 
to aid me ; be faithful, and let not this night pass 
without seeking to inquire from that lady the secret 
that surrounds my poor father’s death.” 

When Sister Marguerite ceased speaking, she 
moved briskly to the door, and borne down with 
sorrow almost to the grave, she walked quickly across 
the lawn, accompanied by her companion, to the con- 
vent. When she had departed, Father Rogers re- 
newed the conversation : 

“Did you gain admittance to the Manse?” 

“ Oh, yes, Father, and I learned a great deal that 
I would gladly impart to you, but to give it to you 
in its crude state, as it really exists in my mind, 
would only serve to mix up matters worse than they 
are at present. My brain is fairly engrossed in the 
Mystery of the Yellow Manse. Each tale that I have 
so far heard thus conflicts in some degree with the 


THE MYSTERY OE THE YELLOW MANSE- 


135 


former ones. Until the link that unites them all 
presents itself, my mind will remain in a state of 
chaos, and behold ! there is the link.” The artist 
pointed to the picture of the Eabbi which he had 
sketched during the funeral. 

“ I have not as yet been able to have a chat with 
him, but I assure you, that when that time comes a 
revelation will be made. To-night, perhaps — this 
very night — will clear up the Mystery of the Yellow 
Manse.” Louis then read the second note, which 
was written in a small, crabbed hand : 

“ Beware ! spy. Still as death must your voice 
remain until your dying day, or else you shall die 
like a dog. You know the secret of the lodge. We 
have your friend and accomplice in our toils, and he 
shall pay the penalty. Take warning by his death. 
Throw off your disguise, and never dare be seen in the 
neighborhood of the mansion. You can do no good 
by informing the city authorities of our doings, as we 
have them already fixed, and bear in mind that where- 
ever you go, a Mason shall lie in wait for you.” 

The only signature was a skull. He read the 
missive over and over again. Louis James was not a 
coward, yet the messages were so conflicting that he 
could not reconcile them, and he trembled violently at 
the awful threats which were in store for him should 
it become known that the Manse was a place where 
plots of Masonic cruelty were planned. He under- 
stood that his entrance to the mansion was perhaps 
forever foiled. He passed the letter to the priests, 


136 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

who in turn devoured its contents eagerly and with 
great alarm. 

“ So you want my advice, my son,” spoke the pas- 
tor : “ keep aloof from that place, and do not disregard 
the warning. With your death the Mystery is still 
unsolved, and in all probability the scandal which we 
have so strongly tried to suppress shall leak out. 
You life is in danger. Stay away to-night.” 

“ To-night, Father, Jeremy dies ! ” 

“ What ! ” replied the bewildered clergyman, who 
had glanced too quickly over the sexton’s condemna- 
tion. “ Go to his assistance, and may God guard 
you!” 

“ Immediately ! ” responded the curate, excitedly. 
“ Put on some disguise.” 

“ No ; I will rely on some other means.” 

“ May our Blessed Lady bless and protect you, 
Louis, from all evils,” said the dark-eyed assistant, 
opening the door and bidding the artist good-night. 
The night was rather cool. The sky was dull and 
heavy and a drizzling rain was falling The lurid 
glare which a few lamps gave, showed that the streets 
were deserted. The approaching storm afforded some 
pretense for the artist to turn up his coat collar close 
about his neck and pull down his cap over his eyes. 
He had not proceeded to a great distance within the 
lonely grave-yard — the way he considered safe to the 
Manse because it lay close to the river — when he was 
accosted by two strangers whom he recognized as 
members of the Masonic Lodge (ever recognizable as 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 137 

members by their dark countenances and emblematic 
links). They seized him by the neck, and seeing that 
resistance was out of the question with such odds, 
Louis merely feigned to fight, when he was really 
reserving his strength for a more suitable occasion to 
exercise it. They dragged him down toward the 
river front. He knew his captors. One was the 
lame, hunch-back broker, Simon Lowe, whose person 
the artist had contrived to imitate the night previous- 
ly. He was the Shylock of the city, known especially 
for his mean dealings and rank bigotry. The mighty 
dollar was the end of his ambition — his god. His 
companion was the long-jawed minister, who pos- 
sessed many good qualities, but which, alas ! were over- 
shadowed by the company he kept. His church was 
a magnificent structure in the very heart of the city. 
He was a minister of the people, not of God. He 
discoursed on everything, from a love-match to the 
latest rise and fall in market bulls — anything to please 
the wishes of his fickle congregation. In his early 
days he preached the plain truth of the Gospel, but his 
flock had tired of this, and he had either to be up to 
date or seek another call. The former was prefera- 
ble, as he was perfectly satisfied with receiving five 
thousand dollars a year, not including gifts, with the 
obligation of preaching an up-to-date sermon on Sun- 
day evening, while he was privileged to close his 
church altogether during the summer. Such were 
the captors of Louis James, united to each other by 
no bond of affection other than the degrading brother- 


138 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

ly sympathy which a Freemason’s oath demands. 
They had a difficulty to solve with the artist, and 
when they brought him to a secluded place, Simon 
scowled in nasal tones : 

“ So, young man, you have defied our warning, and 
now you must pay a good price to get out of our 
power.” 

“ Hush, Simon, no money can release him.” 

“Not except a great amount.” 

“ Your oath, friend, your oath. Would you violate 
that? ” 

“ Not for ten times one hundred, but for ten times 
ten — I would consider that, Stephen.” 

“ Break your oath for ten thousand dollars ! ” 

“ O ho, as far as money — money goes.” 

The clock in St. Mary’s struck the hour of eleven. 
The Masons had a firm grasp of their prisoner, but 
they were divided in their opinions as to what they 
slioulddo with him. Louis James understood that the 
committee on resolutions was to meet at twelve, and 
then was to be decided the Irishman’s fate. It mat- 
tered not whether the other members of the committee 
were present as long as the doctor was there — for 
that gentleman would only too readily transact the en- 
tire business. The artist listened to the conversation 
of the minister and the Jew, wishing, if possible, to 
ascertain if his identity had been found out in the 
Manse. But what difference did it make, under the 
circumstances. He was held in their vice-like grip, 
so escape by fighting was beyond consideration. He 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 139 

must soon adopt some method to deliver himself out 
of their hands. He was aware of the greed of the 
money-lender, but he had not wherewith to satiate his 
thirst. 

“ You ought not to hold me a prisoner,” he pro- 
tested. “ Why treat an inoffensive citizen in such 
a manner? You have mistaken the man.” 

“ I presume that you are Mr. James,” gallantly 
asserted the dominie. 

“ Yes, sir. 

“ Now, J ames, you shall spend the night with us, 
instead of prying into the secrets of our order. That 
partner of yours dies to-night. He is a fox, alto- 
gether too sly to have let me escape and himself 
perish. We do not mean to injure you, but simply to 
keep you out of harm’s way.” 

When Louis realized that perhaps the fate of his 
friend was in the balance, he made up his mind to 
act quickly. He had shown timidity till now, and by 
that means had partly thrown them off their guard. 
A resolution, a mighty dash — and he was away tow- 
ard the river. Unfortunately in his haste he stum- 
bled, and the minister, fleet of foot, was upon him. 
There was a fierce struggle, and Louis was getting the 
better of the argument when the limping Jew came 
breathlessly to the rescue. Now the encounter 
waxed exceedingly hot. The minister, who was under- 
neath, suffered most, and to add to his uncomfortable 
position, he was greatly discomfited by the furious 
raillery of fists which came within an ace each time 


140 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


of disfiguring liis genteel face forever. Shylock the 
second was a man of great strength, but the artist 
was more agile, and dealt his adversary several blows 
to the one he received. One over the other, they 
rolled, until the three — a struggling mass — locked in 
one another’s embrace, toppled over into the river. 
They arose to the surface still struggling. The artist 
being an expert swimmer, contrived by desperate 
efforts to free himself from their clutches, and swam 
to the dock, leaving the two Masons, who could not 
swim, drowning each other in the dark waters below. 


CHAPTER VII. 



STRANGE SIGHTS AND STRANGE PEOPLE. 

j|HE darkness into which Jeremy was conduc- 
ted blinded him for a few moments. The 
candles which his captors carried were put 
out by the dank, misty breeze that pervaded the 
interior. Four granite pillars of roughly-cut rock 
supported the roof, that appeared to be a black, coal- 
like substance. The floor was of stone, and every 
footfall of the procession startled unearthly echoes. 
In the centre of the strange apartment stood a plat- 
form, upon which was placed a massive chair with a 
back twenty or more feet high and studded with pre- 
cious stones. In the background was a brazen choir 
loft, in which posed a ponderous organ whose gigantic 
pipes reached to the roof, a distance of fifty or more 



THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


141 


feet. On the platform surrounding the great chair 
were twelve smaller ones of ordinary size, upon which 
rested beautiful cushions ; before the stage opened a 
vast pit in which was a large gallery. At the sound of 
a bell innumerable lights of various colors shed their 
brilliant glare over the whole place. It was a strange 
scene — a regular fairyland which the Irishman was 
wont to dream about in days gone by. He was lost 
in admiration as he viewed the surroundings. The 
roof glistened like diamonds, while the choir loft 
shone as gold. Soon the mighty organ rolled off its 
sonorous notes as J eremy was escorted to the stage by 
the dark band. Bewilderment seized him as he walked 
up and down with a gallant stride — like a tragedian of 
antiquity — observing the splendor of the cave. Slow- 
ly marching from a rear entrance, a strange cortege 
made its way. Two pretty black-haired children 
dressed in white headed the procession, seated upon 
two jet-black ponies. Next came slowly behind, two 
young ladies whose faces and dress the Irishman 
stared at for some time in admiration. They wore 
tightly fitting gowns of red silk with ornaments of gold. 
Immediately following appeared a line of old men and 
women arranged in the most varied and indescribable 
costumes that one could imagine. Lastly a chariot of 
white and gold drawn by four white horses hovered 
into view, in which was seated the mysterious white- 
haired prince enrobed in a superb silken gown. As 
soon as the red men espied their chieftain they sang 
out above the high resounding organ : “ Allah ! Allah ! 


142 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

God is God, and Mahomet is his prophet.” By the 
side of the prince sat a young lady clad in black, 
whose features were concealed by a heavy black veil. 
The eyes of 4 the sexton were constantly fixed upon the 
dark reddish face of her mysterious companion. As 
the chariot stopped at the stage, he alighted and took 
the lady by the arm and escorted her toward Jeremy, 
who was acting the part of a piece of statuary, so dumb- 
founded was he by all that passed before his eyes. 
The sexton scanned the prince with scrutiny as he 
seated himself on the great chair. A wealth of finery 
essayed to cover the blemishes of his ill-foreboding 
looks. Neither powder or wig, however, could con- 
ceal all to the observant watcher. The Rabbi was a 
homely man, the self-same who was carried on the 
shoulders of his braves at the burial of Lady Omar. 
The big chair in which he sat was turned around and 
moved forward. Jeremy, too, turned full around to 
catch a better glimpse of the man with whom he had 
to deal. When he thought that he had him suffi- 
ciently studied, the sexton faced the audience with an 
air of composure. He saw the pit filled with a great 
mass of people. Children of all ages sat in what 
might be called the orchestra ; the middle-aged folks 
held the first balcony ; while the elders occupied the 
gallery proper. The ten red gowns stepped to the 
front and seated themselves in the smaller chairs 
around the prince. The caliph gave a signal with 
his sceptre, and the organ struck up a lively note. 
The red men fell prostrate before their chief, shout- 


THE MYSTEKY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


143 


ing : “ Allah ! Allah ! ” while the assemblage in the pit 
responded at the top of their voices : “ God is God, 
and Mahomet is his prophet.” When this part of the 
ceremony was ended the caliph arose, and with a loud, 
harsh voice sang out : “ God is God, and Mahomet is 
his prophet. — Amen.” Then in a lower tone he pro- 
ceeded : 

“ Subjects all : — Our meeting to-night is of the 
greatest importance. God has spoken through His 
Archangel Gabriel to Mahomet, and revealed to me. 
whose prophet by generation I am, that a revenge- 
ful Christian has dared to enter our ranks for the 
purpose of decoying souls to his accursed religion. 
What shall we do with him ? ” 

“ Let him die,” said the red men. Satisfied with 
this reply, he addressed those in the pit : “ What is 
your will ? ” 

“ Hear him, hear him,” was the answer of a sol- 
itary voice. This was so unexpected that the won- 
derful old man felt chagrined as he heard the unmis- 
takable reply again repeated, “ Hear him.” 

“ Since then, gracious brethren, you would have the 
prisoner plead his own case, I am willing.” The 
caliph having replaced himself in his great arm-chair 
as comfortably as possible, the ugly doctor, rendered 
more unsightly by the beating he had received at the 
hands of the prisoners, stepped to the footlights, and 
with a stiff bow to the Irishman, gave him to under- 
stand that he must speak in his own behalf. Jeremy 
nimbly danced a step or two forward as he came to 


144 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


the middle of the stage. His dress, while not so well 
arranged as when he entered the Manse, looked, 
however, neat. His usual coolness of temperament 
did not forsake him as he sought to gather his 
scattered thoughts together. He began his defence 
with the like grace and suavity for which practiced 
stump orators and Fourth of July speakers are 
famous. He made a profound bow to the Rabbi, the 
lady in black, the elders, and the audience : 

“ This is a great occasion. I am entirely grateful 
to his highness for givin’ me an opportunity to refute 
the charges laid to me door. In truth, I have no 
defence to make, as it has been prearranged before- 
hand that I am to die.” 

The caliph arose quickly : “ The spy has nothing 
to say. What is your judgment ? ” 

“Kill him,” was the response of the red men, 
while the pit in chorus pleaded, “ Hear him.” 

“ Nothing to say ; do ye say so, me lad ? I’m burstin ’ 
for a good talk, so I am, though little me conversation 
will effect yer black heart, as against every mode of 
judicial procedure, I’m declared guilty before the 
trial comes off at all.” 

“ Wretch ! ” snarled the Rabbi. 

“ Let him die ! let him die ! ” re-echoed his long- 
robed retinue. 

In imitation of the caliph, Jeremy cried out : 

“ What sayest the people ? ” and instantly the re- 
ply came back, “ Defend thyself ! ” This declaration 
tickled the Irishman, and he interrupted the chief, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


145 


who was stammering out something to his mystical 
followers. 

“ Musha, steady, the people will defend me.” 

“ Aye ! aye ! ” was the response from the pit. 

“ Well, then, I’m accused of bein’ a spy, a thief, and 
a scoundrel, and the dear knows what. How much 
nonsense there is contained in these charges the in- 
telligent people in the balcony understand. (Hand 
clapping and other enthusiastic marks of applause 
arose from that part of the house). The children 
present feel that I’m very greatly wronged. (Expres- 
sions of ‘Ah, yes ; poor fellow ! ’ from the orchestra). 
And I’m thinkin’ that if the gentlemen of the jury 
had half the common sense of the venerable ladies and 
men above, begorrah, I would be acquitted without 
judge, jury, or trial.” 

The gallery shook with hilarious applause, while 
the whole house, remembering the compliments that 
had been paid to it by the speaker, joined in the 
salvo. Kage overpowered the prince. He acted as 
one devoid of reason. His sceptre performed all 
sorts of revolutions in the air. A gong sounded vio- 
lently, and up from the hatchways of the stage 
marched members of various lodges dressed in their 
regalia, until they stood a hundred strong, encircling 
the Grand Master. When quiet was restored, the 
harsh voice of the Eabbi was heard : 

“ What will we do with the spy ? ” 

“Hang him,” yell the Masons, in one accord. 

The young lady in black stepped forward to 


146 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

where the sexton was posing, and defiantly spoke out : 

“Well, sirs, if you hang him you must also hang 
me.” 

The red men rushed into the circle with hatchets 
gleaming high above their heads. At this attempt 
of treachery, she fell upon the neck of the terrified 
Jeremy, resolved to die with him. All within the 
cave stood aghast at the sight, and none more than 
the doctor. The audience, recovering from their as- 
tonishment — seeing the gallantry of the young lady — 
set up a mighty shout of approval. The prince, too, 
observing at a glance the sudden change of affairs, 
shook his sceptre in the same mysterious man- 
ner. The organ resounded its sweetest music. Loud 
through the hollow cavern it resounded, and the 
arched roof gave back the echoes. The assemblage 
began to file out. First the black-haired children, 
then the misses in red, next the old folks — until all 
had gone except those on the stage. The faces of 
the red men were growing more exasperated every 
moment that elapsed ; the Masons scowled more 
fiercely ; while the madly-jealous doctor and prince, 
with murder in their eyes, rushed toward the lady 
and the Irishman. The prince again raised his scep- 
tre, and a hundred knives glistened in the cave, when 
lo ! the organ gave a final crash and went to pieces. 
This was immediately followed by a blinding flash 
of light, accompanied by an explosion that shook the 
cavern to its centre. The flames dashed out from 
the roof, the floor, and on all sides. The varied light 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


147 


reflected a scene like that which Babylon must have 
presented when it fell, or when Vesuvius poured out 
its sulphurous contents upon the unfortunate cities 
of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The roof came down 
with a mighty crash, and all was a scene of inde- 
scribable confusion when the young artist appeared 
on the stage. 


CHAPTER VIIL 

THE LOVERS MEET. 

left the artist swimming to the quay, with 
the parson and the Jew struggling behind. 
What became of the two Masons was en- 
shrouded in mystery for over a week. Some one had 
heard shouts for help near the river’s brink, and a 
few of their most intimate friends set out quietly to 
drag the river for their bodies. The hats of both 
men were found, but their bodies were chosen, alas ! 
food for the fishes — so deemed many. There was 
evidence of a struggle, and it was feared that they 
might have been waylaid and murdered. To declare 
the plain truth, no great fuss was made of their dis- 
appearance by the community in general, because 
men of their stamp pass out of this world leaving 
few to regret their departure. The fact of their 
whereabouts leaked out to their friends shortly after- 
ward. They would fain keep it concealed, as they were 
quietly informed that they were safely incarcerated 



148 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

in the county jail serving a ten days’ sentence for 
disorderly conduct, under assumed names. Thanks 
to the efforts of a stout policeman, they were rescued 
from watery graves. The miserly nature of the jew 
steeled him against his fate, and protected his 
shekels intact. The reputation of Mr. Long suffered 
no set-back. He spent his days of confinement 
unrecognized, but with deep regret at having endeav- 
ored to revenge himself on the wily artist. The first 
movement that Louis made when he saw himself at 
liberty, was to swim to a great sewer pipe which he 
hoped might lead him to the Yellow Manse in safety, 
as it ran in that direction. It was a sudden impulse, 
and he acted on it at once. There was no time to 
lose. After a perilous voyage of nearly an hour, he had 
surmounted all difficulties, and nearly exhausted with 
fatigue, finally reached the sub-cellar of the Manse. 
Here in darkness he stumbled about for some time. 
Minutes seemed hours, until he found the way he 
desired. He climbed a ladder that conducted him up 
a precipitous ascent. After landing on the platform 
above, he groped his way a second time until he 
found a staircase, which he cautiously descended. 
At the bottom of this was a door ; he opened it, and 
found that he was behind the organ, where he could 
view the whole proceedings without being observed. 
As the trial of the Irishman progressed, he worked 
with all his might to effect his rescue. Loosening 
the bolts of the great organ, and having come upon a 
quantity of Greek powder and calcium light, he was 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


149 


ready to accomplish his purpose at an opportune 
moment. He soon realized that the ventriloquistic 
powers which he had acquired when a boy, might be 
called into requisition, and he fully realized the design 
he had intended. When affairs looked extremely 
critical for Jeremy, he cut off the wind supply of the 
organ, which caused the first uproar ; then with all his 
force he pulled the main prop from under the mighty 
instrument, and down it came with a terrible bang. 
Then followed a tremendous explosion of the powder, 
and the calcium light served to produce the wonder- 
ful effect. Instantly flames followed the report, and a 
moment later the magnificent tableau was culminated* 
In the centre were the artist, Angelina and Jeremy, 
while the Kabbi and his followers stood terrified 
onlookers. Louis needed only a second to make 
himself known, and before the horror-striken Masons 
and red men could interfere, the artist, the lady in 
black and the Irishman were making their way as 
fast as possible up the stairs. When they reached 
the landing they met the children in white, crying 
bitterly, not knowing where to turn. Jeremy seized 
both in his brawny arms and descended the ladder, 
followed by Louis and Angelina. The tramp of 
footsteps overhead w r arned them of the approach 
of their pursuers. No sooner had they landed safely 
in the cellar than the artist bade them to enter a small 
anteroom to the right. They had scarcely closed the 
door than they were startled by angry cries from 
without. The children screamed hysterically, but 


150 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE J OR, 


thanks to the soothing tongue of Jeremy, they were 
quickly quieted. 

“ Louis, this is a terrible place/’ Angelina whispered, 
in a low voice. “ Flee for your safety. Your life is in 
danger, while we are secure. Hark ! your murderers 
are outside.” 

The lovers listened. The harsh voice of the doctor 
could be heard above the rest. He was desperate. 
The Irishman in the meantime had taken things coolly. 
He found a chair, and seated, with one of the twins 
on each knee, he was busy hushing them, motherlike, 
to sleep. When the lovers could hear no further sound 
of the villains, they began conversing in an undertone. 

“ Angelina, you wish me to run for my life and 
leave you behind.” 

“ But, my friend, while I am in no immediate 
danger, you are. Oh, I implore you, if there is a 
chance of flight, do not delay.” 

“ Angelina, I have much to ask you ere I depart. 
First, whaflis the mystery that enshrouds this house ? ” 

“ You ask me a strange question, and I can only 
answer you in astonishment, and repeat that it is as 
strange to me as it is to you.” 

“ Do you not know the people and the workings of 
your own house ? ” 

“ Louis, you mock me ; my house ! This is not 
my home. I am a prisoner in this terrible place.” 

“ And would you not be rescued ? ” 

“No; not when your life is endangered by so 
doing.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 151 

“ Another question, Miss Angelina ; who was the 
old gentleman — a soldier, I believe — whom you at- 
tended some years ago when dying? ” 

The artist saw a tear fall from the beautiful lady’s 
eyes as she uttered, “ Only a poor Frenchman.” 

“ My dear, your father still lives to comfort you ; 
do not weep.” 

“ My father! Where? Do you know him ? Where 
does he reside ? Oh, that I may see his dear old face 
again.” 

“ Why, Angelina, is not the old gentleman that 
rode by your side in the chariot your parent ? ” 

“ Oh, horrible ! Make no mention of that wonder- 
making man whose every fibre I hate. He is not my 
father. No! a villain, Louis, who has done my 
mother, my father, and all my family a grievous 
wrong.” 

“ I made a great mistake, darling, but I thought — ” 

“ No ! no ! he is no relation — a scoundrel. Oh, my 
father, who lives, God alone knows where ! Could 
I see him again, how happy I would be. Alas ! an 
orphan in the hands of a devil who exercises black 
art on me and all I hold most dear. Oh ! will no- 
body assist me?” 

“ Oh, Angelina, I would give all to save you.” 

“ Friend, you can do nothing against the conspir- 
acy that is laid against my country, my family and 
my God.” 

“ What is it, pray ? ” 

“ I understand but meagre details. All that I am 


152 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

aware of is that a j^rince of the East, in league with 
all the secret organizations of the world, aims at the 
securing of the title of my family and eventually of 
the throne of France.” 

“ How can that be done? ” 

“ By forcing me to marry him.” 

“ Do you love him ? ” 

“ Louis, you strike a heart already broken. Could 
I love a man who has wrecked my family. He held 
my mother a prisoner till she died. He may have 
killed my father. My soul shrinks within me when 
I consider the circumstance in which I am placed, 
with no one to help me.” 

“ Oh, Angelina, you grieve me exceedingly. Would 
I not give my heart’s blood for your sake. Do not 
scorn my offer ! ” 

“ Friend, I would accept it if it would be profitable. 
What will it avail to have your innocent blood shed in 
my behalf. I dare not accept such a sacrifice. The 
foes which you would fight, if you enlisted in my cause, 
are legion . They are the imps of hell in human form, 
who are plotting the overthrow of my dear country 
and the placing of a base infidel on the throne.” 

“Pardon me, Miss, but I don’t understand the 
drift of your remarks.” 

“ The truth is, I am in the power of that magic- 
working prince, and when I awake from the spell 
which he casts around me, I am, as it were, in a 
trance, not knowing whether I am in the land of the 
living or of the dead.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


153 


“ I beg you, Angelina, to narrate the facts which 
these bands of cut-throats are endeavoring to effect.” 

“They are briefly told. My family is of royal 
blood, my mother being directly descended from poor 
Queen Antoinette and Louis the Sixteenth. My 
father, while only distantly connected with the house 
of Bourbon, merited all the claims which his kingly 
valor deserved while acting as general in the defense 
of his country against the infidels abroad and inter- 
nal dissensions within. Alas ! for the degeneracy of 
the times, Louis and Antoinette were basely mur- 
dered, and the ungodly hands of secret societies that 
have soaked the soil of their country with the best 
blood of its citizens, now invited a desperate Moslem 
to the throne to wield the sceptre. My father, seeing 
that the kingdom was at an end, put his hopes in 
Napoleon, trusting that by his mighty power and 
valor he would bring back the fanatics to their 
proper senses. Napoleon, the better to carry out his 
design, took the more desperate class and made them 
stand the fierce assaults of the demon-working Ma- 
hometans. City after city fell before the conqueror 
in his Eastern campaign, until nearly all were re- 
duced to the yoke. The gods had been thrown from 
their altars, sanctuaries defiled, and caliphs and pet- 
ty tyrants made to flee for their lives. In the midst 
of the desolation that passed over the infidels’ coun- 
try, Prince Omar, the head of the conspiracy, and 
heir apparent to the throne of Constantinople, was 
compelled to beat a hasty retreat at the battle of the 


154 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

Pyramids. He vowed vengeance on tlie country 
which had caused his downfall, and to carry out his 
plans he bound himself by many oaths to the fore- 
runners of all evils — secret societies, that were nu- 
merously represented in the French Army. My poor 
father was signalled out for destruction, for I learned 
from mother that he was instrumental in defeating 
the prince, and thereby causing his banishment by 
his enraged subjects. Oh, if the strong arm of Napo- 
leon were still capable of wielding a sword, or the 
cause of Louis the Sixteenth able to sustain its claim 
to royalty, then my country and my people would 
not have been outrageously treated.” 

“ My dear, what have you to fear ? ” 

“ Had you suffered all that I have been forced to 
undergo, sir, you would not question me thus.” 

“ Ah ! you forget that you dwell in a land of the 
free.” 

“ Am I so free that I can go whither I will ? Alas ! 
pent up in this lonely mansion I must linger until death 
comes to relieve me of life’s heavy burden. Would 
to God that I shared the peace of the happy dead ; 
yet dying I would have to regret that I leave those 
behind whom he can persecute. Pray, friend, if I 
may call you such, investigate my father’s death if 
he be dead, and if living, bring him to me. Do you 
know the good Sister’s name that attended the sick 
man in the hut that you asked me about ? ” 

“ She is called Sister Marguerite.” 

“ Marguerite ! Oh, a pretty name. Once I had 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 155 

a sister of that name, and she gave her young life up 
to her Master serving the sick.” 

The children were by this time asleep, and the Irish- 
man, fatigued by the weight of his precious darlings, 
motioned Louis to his assistance. There stood a 
bed in a corner of the room, and gently the twins were 
laid upon it without disturbing their sweet slumbers. 
Angelina stood motionless in the ray of the dim light 
that was burning low over a three-cornered table. 
Jeremy saw that the room was only recently occu- 
pied, and without intimating the fact to either Louis 
or Angelina, he quietly barricaded the door more 
securely. This being done, he joined in the whis- 
pered undertones of the lovers. Jeremy was not 
unknown to the lady in black, and he secretly re- 
ceived many a token through Molly of the existing 
friendship between them — consequently he needed 
no introduction. Moreover, he had some questions 
to ask, and this was his opportunity. 

“ Well, me lady, ’tis yerself that’s in a sorry way, 
shure enough. The damp cellar will be apt to give 
ye a cold, so you’d betterput this about yer shoulders ; 
you’ll find that it will keep you nice and comfortable.” 

The sexton took off his coat, and while she was 
unwilling to expose the Irishman to the same danger 
which he was trying to shield her from, he pressed 
her so urgently that she accepted ii 

“ Now, perhaps, me girl, j^ou’ll answer a few points 
that I’d like to find out very much.” 

“ Certainly, Mr. Owens, if I can.” 


156 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“Who painted those wonderful pictures in the 
secret chamber?” 

“ Why, Jeremy, you have not entered there ! ” 

“ Of coorse.” 

“ Why did you imperil your life by attempting 
such a thing ? ” 

“ Shure, Miss, I often did the same or worse for a 
less cause than seeking your interest. ” 

“ And what did you hear ? ” 

“Nothing of any importance. They wanted to 
adopt resolutions expressing their regret at the 
death of the Rabbi’s wife, and shure we wouldn’t hear 
of it. ” 

“ Who attempted such a cowardly proposal ? ” 

The Irishman was silent. 

“ Jeremy, tell me how you knew that my mother 
was not the wife of the black prince.” 

“ I just reasoned it this way, me girl : I was well 
acquainted with your mother, and I deemed her 
almost an angel, and I considered it awful peculiar if 
her husband was a devil. Besides, it looked very 
strange, if she were divorced, for if that be true she 
was no Catholic.” 

“ Your reasoning is correct. She was not the wife 
of the Rabbi, save in name. ” 

“ But the pictures, Miss Angelina ? ” 

“ They were painted by my mother from the scenes 
of the war that my poor father had described to her.” 

“ Is there not some tale connected with them ? ” 

“ I judge there is. The prince did not care for sev^ 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 157 

eral of them, and would have destroyed them were it 
not for the tears and entreaties of my mother.” 

“They resembled the persons and places I had 
seen in the initiation that the Masons put me through, 
and I connected a strange story with them.” 

“Jeremy, what were the scenes that interested 
you?” 

“ Oh, Louis, it was not the paintin’s but the truth, 
which I saw’ unfolded before me.” 

“ Oh, you were dreaming.” 

“ Perhaps I was, Mr. James, but ye won’t be put 
about if I inquire a little more from yer lady.” 

Miss Angelina did not notice the remark of the 
Irishman, couched as it was in such expressive lan- 
guage that made the artist blush. 

“ Madam, please inform me if your father fought 
in the East ? ” 

“ He was in all the battles of Napoleon.” 

“ Then he was at the Pyramids? That’s all.” 

“ No, Jeremy ; ask more. I have seen the battle 
so well depicted by my mother’s hand that I am 
interested.” 

“ Since yer ladyship condescends to give a little 
account, I will proceed. Your father, God rest his 
soul wherever he is, didn’t belong to the secret orders. 
Of coorse, he didn’t, but I’m askin’, to get things 
straight.” 

“ No, sir ; he opposed them with the greatest 
vigor.” 

“ Shure he did ; and if I can believe the history of 


158 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

France, your country suffered much from these rascals 
about the period of Danton, Marat, and other fly- 
away s.” 

“ You are right ; but how came you to the con- 
clusion that my father might have belonged to the 
secret societies ? ” 

“ No, I didn’t doubt ; if I doubted at all I could 
see yerself, his daughter, a prisoner in this sacret 
house.” 

“ How did you ascertain that I was a prisoner? ” 

“If I must be plain, because you never went to 
church, Mass, or meetin’, and bein’ of Frinch extrac- 
tion, I thought it naturally wrong that you would 
forsake the religion of your ancestors.” 

Tears rolled from the large beautiful eyes of the 
lady which she didn’t attempt to restrain. 

“ I see that you have taken a great interest in me, 
Mr. Owens.” 

“Perhaps I ought to take more,” was the re- 
sponse. 

“ The truth is, my dear friend, I have been too 
conservative, and yet my story is summed up in a 
few words. I am a prisoner — a mystery to my own 
existence.” 

“ An infidel against your will ! ” 

“Not exactly, Jeremy; but I am prevented from 
even going across the way to the beautiful church to 
say as much as a prayer for my poor mother’s soul. 

“ Angelina, she is not forgotten ; the clergymen 
bevant pray daily for her.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 159 

“ Ah, they are good men. May heaven reward 
them ; I cannot. That venerable old gentleman is a 
real saint. He came at once when that poor country- 
man of mine lay dying, five years ago. Who is the 
young priest?” 

“ Father Delon.” 

“ What, a Frenchman ! Yes ; I suppose from the 
City of Paris, my dear home.” 

“ Madam, are there great high churches and tow- 
ers in the city ? ” 

" It is noted for the loftiness and grandeur of its 
dwellings and public buildings. I remember well, that 
close to far-famed Notre Dame rose our mansion, and 
a more inspiring edifice could not have been seen.” 

“ Is your home still standing ? ” 

“ No ; it was destroyed by the allies of Europe 
under Bleucher.” 

“ Can you recall any of the facts that occurred 
during the conflagration ? ” inquired the artist, ex- 
citedly. 

“ Only a few, Louis. A portion of the rear bat- 
talion composed of Turks and Arabs, destroyed our 
home, while they left others intact.” 

“ Confound them ! I thought as much,” bitterly 
remarked the artist.” 

“ And so did I, Louis.” 

“ Why, Jeremy, how came you by these facts ? ” 

“ Only a dream,” slyly rejoined the sexton, which 
the artist feigned not to notice. 

“ Bevenge was at the bottom of that cowardly act.” 


160 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ I think so, Louis ; my father would have per- 
ished by the leaders hand had not my darling 
mother rescued him.” 

“The rascal gave your father an awful gash.” 

“ Mr. Owens ! ” 

“ Well, me lady, I’m wonderin’ at all I’ve learned.” 

“ Oh, dear friends, my family suffered much from 
that fatal hour. I was too young to understand all 
that happened. My mother — poor martyred soul — 
has been the victim of foul abuse. She died broken- 
hearted. Oh, that terrible accident. Oh, my mother, 
you kept the secret of my life from me ! I knew 
something was wrong, but I was a mere child, and in 
my imagination I deemed all was right ; but there 
was a big mistake, and I found this out as I grew to 
womanhood. I pleaded with mother to tell me what 
mystery hung over our household, but the more I 
asked her and pressed her to tell, she wept and said : 

‘ My child, you will one day learn.’ Alas ! she died 
with her lips sealed. Here I am left a mystery to 
myself and my own existence. From words that 
now and then escaped her lips, she wished that noth- 
ing would be made manifest until everything was 
cleared away and our fallen family raised to their 
proper social standing. My anxiety has grown 
keener each day since her death. I know not how to 
repel the thoughts that bewilder my brain and har- 
row up my heart. Am I an outcast, or a rejected 
heir, or what? What is the secret I wish to 
know ? What has become of my father ? ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 161 

She had no sooner concluded this sad appeal than 
a disturbance arose outside. Dread came over the 
lovers, and while the Irishman felt a little worried, 
he was gradually becoming more accustomed to the 
severe trials that beset him on his mission. He 
quickly whispered something in the ear of Louis and 
hastened to the door. Without the Masons were 
swearing and howling like demons. Several sharp 
blows from their axes brought the door down 
with a crash. The Irishman could see by the glare of 
the lanterns which they carried, that they had imbibed 
too freely. The ugly red-headed doctor was leading 
the drunken mob. They entered the room. Jeremy 
mingled with his companions undiscovered, and with 
consummate boldness walked rapidly through the 
midst of them and whispered something in the blear- 
eyed physician’s ear. The word had its effect. 

“ They have fled ; let us seek them elsewhere.” 

At their captain’s command the Masons staggered 
back out of the apartments — the red-headed butcher 
alone remaining behind. 

“ Now for that interview, Owens. Where is she ? ” 
pleaded the Mason. 

“ Eight forninst you ; see where the little window 
lets in the light.” 

The homely man gazed in .the direction pointed 
out, and saw that he was not deceived. 

“ Do ye see her ? ” 

“ Yes,” he shouted, at the top of his voice. 

He would have repeated the exclamation of surprise 


162 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


and delight had not he felt the grip of the sexton’s 
hands about his throat. Jeremy remarked uncon- 
cernedly : “ She is busy telling the young artist how 
she loves him, but mind ye, he don’t care a half-penny 
for her, and as for meself, she jilted me so often that 
ye needn’t worry about me.” 

The deceptive language of the Irishman put the 
doctor off his guard. He believed that Owens had 
no interest in her, and while Miss Angelina was con- 
versing low but earnestly with the artist, he in turn 
seemed not to pay the slightest attention to her. 
Angelina was indeed wondering at the coolness with 
which Louis heard her repeat some of the more in- 
teresting details of her life. A moment ago, and he 
would have lingered on every word ; now he let sen- 
tence after sentence pass from one ear to the 
other without showing any concern whatsoever. 
Louis, however, was sorely disconcerted. He was 
too much of a straightforward character to instruct 
Angelina to play a false role. It was all well 
enough for himself to act the hypocrite, but no, he 
could not suffer his darling to do the same. He was 
too much of a lover to play a farce. Moreover, 
he was not sure that she would place her affections 
on the love-crazed doctor, and he therefore resolved 
to let her enact the part she wished to choose 
for herself. There was no doubt in the sexton’s 
mind that she hated the doctor. He had supplicated 
in vain for her love. She trembled violently for the 
sake of her real lover, when the blood-thirsty Masons 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 163 

battered down the door, and she still felt uneasy by 
the fact that within the room was one whom she could 
not look upon except with scorn. The lovers still 
conversed in an undertone, while Jeremy and the 
physician declared their respective opinions quite 
loud. 

“ So your family came to America after the down- 
fall of Napoleon ? ” 

“ Yes, Louis ; we settled in Maryland, where my 
father engaged in farming.” 

“Was this his particular intention in coming 
hither?” 

“ I don’t think so, for some rumor got abroad that 
my dear mother was attached to some other man. O 
treacherous plotting, born and bred of the revolution- 
ary movement. We lived there but a brief period, 
when Teresa and Lucile, my darling little sisters, were 
born. Shortly after their birth, I saw the peace of 
our home was once more disturbed, and I have since 
solved the problem. An Eastern magician once 
visited us during father’s absence. He pleaded with 
my mother to run away and marry him. She refused, 
and he threatened her life. One night when my father 
had gone a distance from home on business — now 
nearly six years ago — we were all kidnapped, and 
from that day we have been prisoners of the Manse.” 

While she was narrating her history Louis forgot 
to act in the manner prescribed by Jeremy, and 
instead of showing a listless disregard for what she 
said, he was all attention to his pretty sweetheart. 


164 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

The doctor was every moment growing more jealous. 

“ You promised me,” he at last broke out, “an inter- 
view ; go and obtain it. I live only for her.” 

The ugly individual spoke so earnestly that every 
word that he uttered was accompanied by a gesture 
of the hands. 

“ Hush ! you must remain cool when you may have 
the pleasure of meeting the delicate little creature ; 
or if you go on with these queer pranks, you’ll 
frighten the life out of her in this apartment. Now 
there is every chance of meetin’ the lady, but one.” 

“Name it, sir.” 

“ Show me the way out of this infernal hole.” 

“ My oath, my oath. I have sworn,” replied the 
Mason. 

“ Well, if ye have made up yer mind to keep the 
oath, then, to be shure, I’ll not break me promise. 
Bother with ye and yer swearin’ ; don’t ye know 
by this time that I’ve got as good a hold as the devil 
on ye, and between us both, some of us are bound to 
get ye.” 

“ Ha ! ” scornfully mocked the doctor. 

“ No ha ! about it. Put up yer hands, er I’ll waive 
all claim to yer carcass and let the devil have ye now.” 

The physician realized that he was a prisoner in 
his own room with a revolver placed in close prox- 
imity to his head. 

“ Mercy ! ” he cried. 

“ Bedad, I’ll show ye none unless ye first show 
me the way out of this cellar.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 165 

“ I will — only on one condition.” 

“ Well, such impudence ! Ye made some stiff ones 
when I was in jail, but I’m boss now, and ye have no 

choice.” 

“Spare me, sir, and grant me an interview with 
Madam Angelina.” 

“Point out the way that leads to the pure air of 
heaven.” 

“ Straight ahead to the left, where you will meet a 
long, narrow hall, which you will enter until you come 
to a door ; open it and descend the staircase, which 
will conduct you to the elevator. Pull the rope, and 
this will bring you to the cupola, which you can de- 
scend by means of the ladder outside to the street. 
Come, I will show you.” 

“ Och, never mind that.” 

“As you have got your demand, permit me to 
speak with my darling for a few minutes.” 

“ Certainly,” replied the sexton. 

At that moment a disturbance was heard without, 
and it was impossible to hear a word, so loud were 
the imprecations of the lodge members. The twins 
were awakened, and screaming with fright ran to the 
arms of Jeremy. The fury of the contestants was 
irresistible. Knives clashed together and dismal 
groans resounded through the dark cellar. The 
doctor rushed out, and the Masons, mistaking him for 
Jeremy, gave him a severe drubbing. Some of the 
fighters fell through the battered door. 

“ Hide, Louis,” shrieked Miss Angelina ; but she 


166 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OB, 


had fainted dead away in his arms, and he would not 
leave her in such a state surrounded by a crowd of 
vagabonds. The Masons hunted everywhere around 
the room. The Irishman was descried hiding behind 
a pillar, and taking a tighter hold on his precious 
darlings, he made a dash for liberty. His pursuers 
followed close upon his heels. As they disappeared 
into the darkness, the dim light on the table reflected 
a terrible scene. The physician painfully lifted him- 
self from among his wounded companions, and seeing 
the artist holding Miss Angelina in his arms, made a 
desperate lunge at him with his thin-pointed knife. 

The light went suddenly out, and the last fading 
glimmer saw Louis defending himself with incom- 
parable skill. 


CHAPTEK IX. 



LITTLE BY LITTLE THE DEVILTRY COMES TO LIGHT. 

|YEKYTHING was pleasant around the rec- 
tory after the rain of the night. The flow- 
cry blossoms were fresh and beautiful, and 
their odor-bearing petals exhaled the morning breeze 
that came up from the old river. The garden was 
small though beautiful. Hoses red and white hung 
from full green round bushes. A lily here and there, 
as modest as a maiden at prayer, stood high over 
pink and orange blossoms. The pathways of grass 
were neatly trimmed. The clustering vines that 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 167 

graced the walls of the church hung carelessly over 
the carriage way of broken stone which lead to the 
last resting-place of man in this valley of death — the 
grave-yard. In a word, all things showed what a care- 
ful hand Jeremy had exercised as sexton of St. Mary's. 
The graves in the burying ground were well banked, 
and over them many fading flowers expressed how 
much the mourners thought of the person now laid to 
rest, and now told at the same time how the sweetest 
memories fade away and are forgotten. Here and 
there, where no trinket of remembrance had been put 
the good-natured Jeremy planted a bush or tree. 
Nearby the river stood the white-haired pastor. 
He was deeply meditating. Many a year he saw the 
tide rise and fall. He gazed sorrowfully upon the 
white headstones glistening in the sunlight, and felt 
within his bosom how heavy, indeed, was the cold 
hand of Death. 

“ ‘The elixir of life was only a figment, the philoso- 
pher’s stone a myth ; but after all, Death was a 
certainty. How happy is the thought of resurrection. 
Man shrinks from the companionship of the dead. 
Christ alone gives surety of life eternal.’ Oh, wretch- 
ed man, who has tumbled into a narrow cell of clay 
with no hope of a future beyond its bounds ! To die 
and live no more — surely that cannot be ! A Christian 
realizes that he has to die, but his confidence, as 
he enters on his last sleep, is placed in God. He 
embraces the pillow of stone and silently draws over 
him his mantle of clay ; he hopes and prays to awake 


168 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

in a better life. The changeful tide of life is always 
filled with sadness. The sun rises, and ere it sets, a 
friend has fallen into the grave. And yet the current 
of the old river passes on from hour to hour, only to 
eventually return again. ‘ How sad it is ! Yet we 
must concede the fact that while all things change, 
none cease to be ; man alone must fall to rise no 
more.’ The stars that lighted the heavens when 
Christ was born still reflect their glimmering shadows 
upon the snow of winter. The mountains in the far- 
off West that stand peering aloft into the clouds, 
seem to defy the powers of disintegration. Here we 
have seen them for many a year unchanged by the 
hard hand of Time. The trees, with their diversified 
foliage, droop not to the heat of summer nor to the 
cold of winter, but stand firmly with imperturbable 
grandeur and protest against the elements that would 
annihilate them. ‘ Thus we see the stern fixity of 
Nature, while every day we behold the utter decay of 
Man, the superior of all things. What, then, is Death 
— that terrible separation which breaks asunder the 
vital ties of spirit and matter ? To live, to die and be 
no more — surely this cannot be!’ We further know 
that while all things change, none cease to exist. 
‘ The glorious sunburst that hangs resplendent 
over the green valley in the morning, sinks to rest 
when the sable shroud of night falls upon the solemn 
old ocean. The newly-conceived bud that breathes by 
the gentle touch of spring, is born and blooms forth 
and is nourished by the gentle air of summer. The 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 169 

varied-colored leaves of the bushes and the brown 
impurpled leaves of the trees that make the rich 
months of autumn, slowly but certainly yield to the 
cold and chilly blasts of winter, and thus seasons 
succeed each other, year gives place to year — a cen- 
tury rolls by as naturally as day follows night — only 
to rise again triumphant over Death.’ But who can 
believe that while gross materialism is indestructible, 
man, the master of matter, is born to live, to die and 
live no more ; that cannot be. The hope of man is 
founded on truth eternal, which shines forth in temp- 
est and in calm with unsurpassed splendor.” 

These were the thoughts that occupied the mind of 
the rector as he strolled through the churchyard to 
his dwelling. He paused for a moment, and looking 
up, saw a crowd in the street in front of the rectory. 
He hurried to the parlor, and as he did so an ambu- 
lance drove quickly up. The driver and a policeman 
lifted a man out, and two children followed them into 
the priests’ house. They were weeping bitterly. A 
few minutes conversation in which the pastor and 
officers indulged, and the ambulance was driven away, 
the crowd dispersing. As soon as the injured man 
lifted the handkerchief from off his face, behold! 
there was the Irishman — a mass of bruises. 

“ Have you been spreeing this fortnight, Jeremy ? ” 
“ Och, Father alive, I’ve been an the outlook, and 
met with a great deal of good luck and naturally with 
a bit of bad luck.” 

“ Pshaw ! ” said the pastor, trying to suppress a smile, 


170 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ I am thinking you have fallen ignobly from your 
post.” 

“ From a post, yer riverence ; it was a mighty big 
post.” 

The features of the Irishman were certainly badly 
battered. He was a wreck ; so much so, that Fa- 
ther Eogers could not help smiling at his ridiculous 
appearance. 

“ How came you to get these injuries ? ” 

“ Shure, I fell half the length of the sky, and nearly 
killed the children.” 

“Who are they, Jeremy? ” 

The sexton gasped two or three times, and then 
addressed the rector. 

“ Yer riverence, please take care of these pretty 
darlings, for an evil omen hangs over them. Give 
them to Sister Marguerite.” 

The superioress of the convent was at that time 
coming from the sacristy, and the kind pastor gave 
the two pretty twins into her charge. The little ones 
seemed pleased with their new guardian, and like- 
wise the gentle nun took a great interest in them. 
When they had departed Jeremy narrated in a 
low whisper all that had happened in the Yellow 
Manse. 

“ And are you sure, Jeremy, that you were sober 
all the time? ” 

“ Why, bless yer riverence’s soul, I haven’t tasted 
a drop of spirituous drink since, side by side with 
Louis, I promised the nun I wouldn’t.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 17l 

“ If such be the case, you have been the victim of 
a sad delusion.” 

“ Oh, would that I were, Father dear, then when 
I’d awake from it I would find meself safe and sound ; 
but as shure as the cuts are on me face, so true are 
all the details I have told you.” 

“ Why did you take the children with you ? ” 

“ To keep the innocent crathures from harm’s way. 
Their lives were indeed in danger at the hands of 
murderous Masons.” 

“ You acted properly now, how did you receive the 
bruises ? ” 

“ Well, Father, I landed safely on top of the cupola, 
and commenced me descent quickly, when I lost me 
footin’, and down I came with a thud.” 

“ How did the children escape ? ” 

“ Of coorse, I held them above me head, and bent 
me head, and a fearful thumping it got before it 
rested aisy on the ground.” 

“ Ah ! Jeremy, at first I doubted your story, but I 
have learned since you began that I erred. You 
have done noble work in trying to solve the Mystery 
of the Yellow Manse. Perhaps in a week or so, when 
your wounds are healed and you are completely 
rested you may clear it up altogether ” 

“ Father, would you have me lay up at me aise 
when Louis is in danger of his life ? ” 

“ Where is he, Jeremy ? ” 

“ A prisoner, like I was meself, across the way.” 

“ Oh, this is dreadful. He was here yesterday"and 


172 THE UNCEOWNED PBINCE ; OK, 

told me of your peril, and now you have come 
to inform me of his danger. I am fearful of some 
dreadful mishap befalling either of you, and yet I 
cannot discourage you in your workings.” 

At this juncture the curate put in his appearance. 
A look of terror spread over his countenance as he 
gazed at the disfigured face of his friend the sexton. 

“ Oh, you, too, have suffered from the evils that 
beset the Manse.” 

“ Slightly, Father Delon. How did you come by 
this piece of news ? ” 

“ Oh, I had a presentiment — a dream ; never mind 
just at present ; my brain is so muddled up that 
I cannot explain. The mystery of that accursed 
house has so worked on me that I am not able to 
account for anything. I have imagined strange fore- 
bodings, and I shall never rest content until I have 
found some sequel to them.” 

“Oh, George, such weird creatures that you have 
pictured to yourself have no existence outside of your 
troubled mind,” said the pastor, smiling. 

“ Let us account for the tale that is over our heads 
at present, then a little later, yours, too, will receive 
proper attention.” 

“ Oh, Father, you are furnishing me with false 
hopes to build on. The Mystery of the Yellow Manse 
is unsearchable ; to try to solve it, under the cir- 
cumstances, is futile.” 

“Oh, don’t say that, Father; shure we are workin’ 
on it with great success. Little by little the deviltry ol 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 173 

the place is cornin’ to light, and I’m thinkin that the 
whole sacret shall burst out before our eyes some 
fine day as the glorious sunshine breaks out over 
the mists in Dublin Bay. Why be so disturbed? ” 

“Jeremy, a mystery no less dark conceals the 
pleasure of life from me.” 

“We are a queer set — hardly less so than the peo- 
ple beyant, and pardon me for sayin’ so.” 

The rector opened his large blue eyes wide with as- 
tonishment as the curate manifested an inkling of his 
life to the sexton, and he was still more surprised 
when a moment later he drew forth a scrap of paper 
and read its contents aloud : 

“I, Doctor Herman Ludovice, of the army of 
Napoleon, do hereby transfer perpetually all the 
claims and rights of my infant son George into your 
possession, Most High Caliph and Prince Omar of 
the Dynasty of Mahomet. Signed, Dr. Ludovice.” 

The curate handed the strange note to the pastor, 
and having re-read it carefully, delivered it to the 
young priest. 

“ Where did you come across this piece of informa- 
tion ? ” queried the rector. 

“ While looking over some papers belonging to my 
adopted mother, I found it entangled in some hair. 
This discovery has led me to suspect that I might be 
the son of the doctor.” 

“ Do you know anything of this man ? ” again 
asked the old priest. 

“ Nothing,” was the laconic reply. 


174 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


Father Rogers felt like investigating further, but he 
did not wish to pester him in his disturbed state of 
mind. Jeremy, usually fluent when there was a de- 
sire of information, held his tongue as he considered 
how strange the world really is. The conversation 
after some time reverted to the wonderful old build- 
ing, and we leave Jeremy to repeat his escapade, to 
interview the beloved twins. 

None of the sadness which overwhelmed the paro- 
chial residence was apparent in the convent. The 
twins — Lucile and Teresa, as they were endearingly 
called — brightened up that household as it had not 
been before for many a day, with their merriment 
and jollity. The charming little pair were the counter, 
part of each other. The same little black eyes and 
hair, dark, round, fat faces, dresses of light material, 
identical expression of tone of laughter and conversa- 
tion — in a word, they so closely resembled each other 
that it was very difficult to tell them apart. The nuns, 
to distinguish one from the other, tied a blue piece 
of ribbon on Teresa’s ring. This done, after filling 
the convent with their laughter and their witty sayings, 
Teresa sang as sweetly as a bird. Her charming voice 
so delighted the Sisters, that they asked her to sing 
something else, but the little rascal slipped her ribbon 
to Lucile when waltzing around, and no sooner had the 
nuns asked for a second song than Lucile shrieked out 
something that was perfect discord. The good Sis- 
ters knew not what to make of her, as she went on as 
inharmoniously as she had begun, and finally conclud- 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


175 


ed in the same discordant key. The child sang so 
sweetly before, and now so earnestly, and yet so bad, 
that they were completely nonplussed, and why not ? 
Lucile could not sing a note. Then feeling that she 
had not shown the ability that was in her, she proudly 
marched to the piano and played a charming role of 
pieces that the Sisters were loath to interrupt. Her 
nimble fingers danced over the keys, and the music 
that came from the instrument proved that gifted 
hands!struck the notes. She ended amidst a profusion 
of compliments, and Teresa moved to make up her 
part in deceiving the Sisters, and in her angel-like 
voice sang two more songs so symphoniously and 
sweetly as a Cecilian must have sung. The nuns 
looked for the ribbon, and finding that it was missing, 
laughed heartily at the joke that was so skilfully played 
upon them. The bell rang for dinner, and the 
charming twins, after partaking of the dainties that 
had been prepared for them, grew drowsy and were 
put to bed by Sister Innocentia. All the afternoon, 
while the little darlings slept, the younger Sisters 
were good-naturedly mimicking their antics. The 
nuns were busy sewing, but the songs that Teresa 
sang still sounded so sweetly in their ears that they 
could not refrain from humming snatches of them, 
and likewise from moving their feet as they seemed 
to hear the lively airs of Lucile repeated. Some de- 
clared that Teresa had the sweetest disposition, while 
others said that Lucile was a more out and out child, 
and consequently, the more agreeable. The opinions 


176 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

were equally divided in favor of each ; all were unan- 
imous in asserting the two were the nicest, sweetest 
children they had ever met. During the afternoon 
Sister Innocentia called on her dear old mother in 
her room. 

“ Where have those pretty pets come from, Sister ? ” 
was her first inquiry. 

“ They say that they live in the Yellow Manse, 
and when I questioned them about their name they 
simply replied ‘ Teresa ’ and ‘ Lucile ’ ; further than 
this they did not know. They have stirred up fresh 
and strange thoughts in my mind.” 

“ Oh, good mother, you are always thinking queer- 
ly,” laughed the sweet-faced nun. 

“ Could I see Jeremy, he might have some news 
from the old house that would relieve me from the 
sorrow that is weighing down my life to the grave.” 

A step was heard in the hail- way, and the little nun 
admitted the poor wounded Irishman. 

“Why, Jeremy, what has happened to you? ” 

“ Oh, nothing ails me but a few scratches which I 
got from a fall.” 

The sexton’s demeanor quieted the excitement that 
was rising in the mind of Sister Marguerite. 

“ Any news to-day, Mr. Owens ? ” 

“ None but the best.” 

He told the superioress the outline of the work 
that had been accomplished. This, however, afforded 
but little comfort to the afflicted soul ; nothing would 
satisfy her, short of revealing the whole mystery. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


177 


To the meditative mind that gazed on the gray walls 
of the convent, nothing save peace and contentment 
reigned within. Worriment, however, pursues well- 
nigh every soul, and it seems to follow with peculiar 
terror those who are inclined to do good and practice 
virtue. Virtue and vice are tried in the furnace of 
trouble. Vainly do some seek perfect happiness in 
this life. The glamour of worldly greatness raises 
the thoughts of the ambitious man; the gloss of 
riches attracts the miserly heart ; but the vast majority, 
seeing the folly of human happiness, either hope or 
despair in a life beyond the grave to reward them 
with perfect consolation. It must not be said that 
the present life contains no comfort, no joy. There 
is in this world a great deal of pleasure, yet not, 
however, bountifully enough to supply the cravings 
of the human heart. Heaven alone can do this. The 
bell for supper resounded through the cloister. The 
twins were awake, and as gay and as pretty as ever, 
prattling^and dancing about the dining-room. Jeremy 
saw them, but he did not interrupt their play. All 
through the meal the young couple laughed and joked, 
and the fun was increased by the way the nuns joined 
in. Teresa sang several songs during the recreation 
that followed, while Lucile played as grandly as ever. 
The time flew past quickly, until it was the hour for 
prayer and repose. High over the convent walls 
arose the silvery moon and peered through the lofty 
church tower. The shadows of night fell softly and 
gently upon the little Catholic grave-yard. How sad 


/ 


178 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

it is to gaze upon the simple headstone that recalls 
the memory of a dear departed friend ! Here the 
beams fell upon the grave of a young maiden snatched 
away in the pride of youth and beauty. On a little fur- 
ther down the pathway, they showed the plain wooden 
crosses, beneath which many a hero sleeps, unknown 
to popular fame. Old and young are laid within its 
consecrated bosom awaiting the judgment day. 
Death is certainly a ruthless destroyer. Life gives 
all ; death takes all away. The old river winds its 
crooked course sad and alone. No boat of any kind 
sails upon its white, silvery tide. The lights of the 
factories alone relieve the solemn aspect. Here men 
are toiling midst flame and smoke. The prophecy of 
Our Lord is fulfilled : “ Thou shalt earn thy bread 
by the sweat of thy brow.” Half naked, they worked 
from early morn till late at night, and all for what ? 
The food and the clothes they needed. While 
Nature reposes in its wonderful course, man alone 
knows no rest until he sleeps in the bosom of his 
Creator. The tenements in the neighborhood ap- 
peared now more than ever^toshow forth their spectral 
form in the moonlight. Thousands of men, women 
and children breathed one another’s breath in a few 
acres of land, and yet all was as silent throughout the 
night as if they were inhabited by people from the 
land of Death. The sun rose blood-red, and slowly 
the waning moon disappeared behind the mountains 
that were bathed in a heavy mist, looking with 
friendly eye on the winding course of the old river as it 


THE MYSTEKY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 179 

settled to repose. The crowing of roosters and the 
yelping of dogs told the weary sleepers that they 
must soon rouse themselves from their slumbers to a 
day of toil. Noisy wagons hobbled through the 
streets on the heavy pavements. The shop whistles 
sounded a dismal greeting to the poor laborer’s ears, 
and another day’s work was commenced. Fathers 
Rogers and Delon were celebrating their masses 
before the hour of seven, and none of those present 
prayed with greater fervor than the ever faithful 
Jeremy. After the Holy Sacrifice had been offered 
up for the living and the dead, the sexton still lin- 
gered to pray especially for those he loved, and for 
the successful issue of the task that Louis and 
himself had undertaken ; namely, of revealing the 
Mystery of the Yellow Manse. TV hen at length he had 
satisfied his heart’s devotion, he made his way, and 
indeed, with no small difficulty, to the priests’ refec- 
tory, where he was in the habit of dining. To the 
inquiries made by the clergymen regarding his health, 
he did not hesitate to tell them how in reality he was 
feeling. “ Bless ye, me friends, but a man don’t 
know the use of his head till he loses it.” 

A smile passed over the genial features of the 
rector as he chid him. “ I am glad, Jeremy, you 
have found out that a sound head is the best part of 
man, and I trust that in future your experience shall 
have taught you a wholesome lesson.” 

“ Och, yer riverence, will ye never let go an oppor- 
tunity to hit me on a soft spot. I have an engage 


180 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


ment to fulfil, and never mind scolding me about the 
weakness of many a good man.” 

“ I thought,” interrupted the pastor, “ that the task 
was to be performed last night.” 

“ It was, but I reasoned with a bit of philosophy. 
If Louis survived the first shock, I’m satisfied Miss 
Angelina would die or defend him at the next onset ; 
and she’s too precious to be led to the slaughter at 
once, and as long as she survives, remember, Louis 
lives.” ' 

“Suppose the doctor made away with him and 
her.” 

“ Oh, Father Delon, that rascal will consider a bit 
before he takes so much on his hands, and I’ll be 
there to-night, and if he tries any of his funny games 
upon me, I’ll cool him down, let me tell you. It is 
now nearly time to think what I am to do.” 

“How will you gain entrance ?” questioned the 
French priest. 

“ Oh, I’ll have ‘ sarrah ’ bit of trouble to-day, and, be- 
gorrah, if the devil himself attempts to drive me out 
of the house before I discover the sacret, not a bit of 
me will move for his majesty. Father Delon, me plan 
is this : I’ll dress in the garb of an old soldier, and 
bring the children with me. There ain’t much use 
in disfigurin’ me face ; shure you would think I met 
the charge of Napoleon at Waterloo ; and I thought 
meself when I bumped me head on the ground in me 
flight from the chimney, that I put me head in the 
mouth of a cannon by accident. Well, as I was sayin’, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 181 

havin’ got a kind reception for bringin’ back the chil- 
dren, I’ll stop over night, or me name is not Jeremy 
Owens.” Having concluded, the Irishman walked 
like a soldier who had met the enemy in many a 
hard encounter, and hastily entered a side room. 
It was not long before he re-appeared, dressed in an 
old army suit of French pattern. The pants were 
somewhat lengthy and narrow, but the sexton made 
good use of the scissors, and he finally contrived to 
get into them without looking too ungainly. The 
coat fitted somewhat better than the pantaloons, but 
you could see at first glance that it was not bought 
to decorate the person of the Irishman. His hat was 
of the slouch kind, but entirely too small, and sat 
jauntily on his bandaged crown. To the eyes of the 
clergyman, he was a grotesque sight ; yet had they not 
known him, he might have passed as a veteran who 
fought at Austerlitz. As they watched him go over 
to the convent, they saw that his make-up was excel- 
lent. When he knocked at the door of the cloister 
Sister Marguerite came to the summons. 

“ What is your business, please ? ” 

“ I want to speak to yerself.” 

“ Your name ? ” 

“Oh, don’t you see Jeremy Owens, the sexton of 
St. Mary’s, right forninst ye.” 

The nun stood back in amazement until the Irishman 
explained matters. Sister Innocentia soon brought 
the twins. They clutched the apron of the superior- 
ess, frightened at the appearance of the old soldier in 


182 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


his regimentals. Sister Innocentia glanced sharply 
at the man, and smiled pleasantly as she recognized the 
face of the good-natured Irishman hidden away be- 
hind a swathe of linen. The children grew less afraid 
as they saw the Sisters discoursing familiarly with 
the soldier. They soon recognized his voice. 

“ Well, me darlints, will ye come with Jeremy?” 

“ What Sisters say, we’ll do,” replied Teresa. 

“We would rather stay, mister, because we like it 
so much here. ” 

“Children, you will go with this gentleman; he 
will bring you back again. Don’t be afraid, he will 
take good care of you.” 

The Sisters having spoken thus in so motherly a way, 
kissed each; and the twins running into Jeremy’s 
arms, and as he stooped down they embraced him 
affectionately. The Sisters having bade adieu to the 
kind-hearted Irishman, watched him as ho walked 
through the grave-yard, until he was lost among the 
high monuments of the dead. 


CHAPTEE X. 

THE EASTERN PRINCE. 

HEN the Masons saw the object of their search 
before them, those who were able to move 
forgot their private brawl, and seeing the 
Irishman running as fast as he could toward the nar- 
row hallway, darted in pursuit. Here was a race for 



THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 183 

life. Although Jeremy was heavily handicapped, he 
dashed on at a rapid gait. Upstairs and down he ran, 
stumbling, falling now and then on his knees, to 
recover himself 'in an instant, only to flee again with a 
more rapid stride for freedom. He heard the curses 
of his pursuers ringing in his ears in the gloomy 
passage. This only served to urge him on the faster. 
Thanks to the number that attempted his capture, 
the Irishman was enabled to make a decided gain on 
the foremost, for they kept bowling one another over 
in their mad flight. The leaders, essaying to have the 
honor of the arrest, strove to outdo the others, conse- 
quently, when they were on even terms they elbowed 
each other so fiercely that the first man fell and three 
over him, till all rolled down a flight of ten or more 
steps. Quick as had been the movements of the sex- 
ton, he had grasped the rope of the elevator none too 
soon. It had risen just out of their grasp when they 
made vigorous efforts to get hold of it ; but up went 
the Irishman out of reach amidst a volley of oaths. 
They staggered back through the long, crooked corri- 
dor and stairways to the room whence they had 
started, burning with rage at the thought of the es- 
cape of him whom they considered must surely be 
their prisoner. No sooner did they reach the dark 
apartment than they saw the blear-eyed doctor make 
a deadly lunge at Louis. The latter, though holding 
the swooning Angelina in his arm, successfully parried 
the blow by a quick turn of the body. Before the 
frantic physician could attack him a second time, he 


184 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


had secured one of the knives of the drunken brothers 
that lay at his feet. The red scoundrel recoiled, and 
heard the semi-conscious rebuke of the lady as she 
answered his plea. “ Ah, madam, you have deceived 
me ; you love another.” 

“ Deceived you ! I could not have done so. I told 
you a thousand times I hate you. You threatened 
my life, but your own would be put in the balance 
if you laid your murderous hand on me.” 

“ O Angelina, I have knelt at your feet for the past 
five years, and you have not returned my affections as 
you should have done. You ought to be aware that 
my life is not worth living without you. Do not let 
me despair ; bid me hope ; and I will wait for ten 
years — aye, twenty, if you will then consent to be my 
bride.” 

“Do not persist in your foolishness. I declare 
once and forever, you cannot hope to gain any more 
than my friendship, strive in what manner you will ; 
so depart from my presence at once.” 

“ Madam, I will leave at my pleasure, and you 
shall do likewise only with my consent, for, under- 
stand well, you are my prisoner. Thwart me not 
with your friendship ; I want your love ; I shall have 
that, or your life.” 

The glassy eyes of his drunken companions shone 
around him on every side, but none gleamed so demon- 
like as his. Some grinned at his love-making, others 
cursed merely for the sake of so doing, while all who 
were awake stared at the pale face of the artist with 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE 185 

treachery. The doctor approached nearer to the 
trembling maiden. 

“ Swear to me that you will love me, and me alone ; 
no other, or, God be a witness, you shall die.” 

His red ferret eyes flashed fire, while he ground 
his teeth with rage. The young lady began to fear 
for her life, but she nevertheless bore up spiritedly 
as her lover stepped face to face with her would-be 
assailant, who, filled with cowardice, stepped several 
feet back. 

“ Sir,” spoke the artist, “ if this lady met your pro- 
posals with approval, I would disdain to interfere in 
your concerns ; but since she scorns alike your pro- 
testations and insults, if you make an attempt to 
coerce her into a marriage I will kill you.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! prisoner, do you not realize that you are 
in my power ? ” 

“You could not exercise any control over me what- 
soever were it not for your many supporters.” 

“ Speak no more, or else you shall feel the weight 
of iron fetters on your delicate limbs.” 

“ Villain, it matters little whether lam bound hand 
or foot to a dungeon or not ; while my tongue is loose 
I will choose to speak, or let it alone, as I wish.” 

“ You dog ! ” snarled the physician ; but he did not 
complete what he desired to say, for with the alacrity 
of a cat the artist was upon him, and with a pecul- 
iar sharp swing, coupled with a clever action of the 
foot, he gave the red-headed Mason a fall that re- 
sounded through the great dismal chamber. Stunned 


186 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


by the shock, the doctor sought to rise, but the young 
painter, throwing away his knife, flung his whole 
weight upon him. 

“ Ketract that word, or I’ll choke you ! ” 

The struggling scoundrel craved pardon, but meant 
treachery. As quickly as Louis lifted him to his 
feet and turned away, the would-be penitent rushed 
upon him with a firm grip on his knife. The artist 
was taken off his guard, and an instant later was 
tying on his back, with the enraged Mason on his 
chest. The latter raised his dagger, but Angelina 
snatched it away, cutting a deep gash in his hand. 
Wild with pain and liquor, he seized Louis by the 
throat. Then commenced a sharp struggle. The 
contestants were encircled on all sides by the riotous 
lodge members, who boisterously cheered every advan- 
tage that their fellow gained. There was one friend of 
Louis’ present, and that was Angelina. She watched 
the encounter with intense excitement, and seeing that 
her lover, who was at a great disadvantage, was get- 
ting far the worse of the contest, advanced toward the 
brutal physician and pushed him to one side. Louis 
lay gasping for breath, and before the doctor could 
return to finish his dastardly job, she partly lifted, 
partly dragged her lover away to one corner of the 
apartment. The doctor, goaded on by the wound he 
had received and the shouts of his felhrw-Masons, 
seized with firmer hold the knife which he ever had 
ready, and ran to where the artist lay. Angelina 
boldly met his fierce onset, and seized him by the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


187 


arm. He broke from her, only to be grasped pluckily 
again. The terrible contest was fast overcoming her 
sensitive nature. All courage died within her as she 
prevented this second attack, and she would have 
fallen had not the artist arisen with almost super- 
human courage and offered her support. Mad with 
jealousy, the blood-thirsty Mason rushed forward to 
dispatch both with the dagger. It was now Louis’ 
turn to defend Angelina. Her rejected lover made a 
mortal thrust at her heart, but the artist received it 
deeply in the arm. The blood spurted over the black 
gown of Angelina and on the white shirt of Louis. 
It was a ghastly picture, from which less timid souls 
would shrink in horror, but that desperate lot of in- 
dividuals had a suitable representative in their mad- 
dened leader to do any work, no matter how bloody. 
The doctor was determined to complete his job, and 
now the artist saw the peril in which he found himself 
and his beloved companion. Leaving her standing 
behind him, he gallantly confronted his assailant, 
unarmed. A loud laugh of mingled scorn and sur- 
prise came from the throats of the drunken brutes as 
they saw the young man deliver a stinging blow on 
their member’s cheek. This only had the effect of 
inciting on the angry demon with greater impulse. 
As he raised his knife, they closed together. The 
artist tightly clutched the arm that held the weapon. 
Both were wounded. They wrestled and tugged at 
each other in their deadly clinch until the veins of 
their throats and foreheads stood out like whipcords. 


188 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

First one and then the other had an advantage, until 
at length the young painter with a mighty effort 
wrenched the dagger from his antagonist, and hurl- 
ing it to the earth, he struck his opponent two or 
three times in rapid succession, under the force of 
which the doctor’s knees bent and he fell in a heap 
in the corner, to dream, perhaps, unpleasant dreams. 
The gallantry of the young lad in refusing to use his 
knife when he had his antagonist at his mercy saved 
him his life. Some of those present took his part, 
while the majority vociferously condemned their 
manner of acting by cursing and swearing. Then 
was renewed the tumultuous scene of the early even- 
ing, until all lay groaning on the floor or had fled. 

Oh, happy would it have been for the lovers if they 
could have then made good their escape from that 
horrid dwelling. They wondered what had become 
of the Irishman and the children. When the snor- 
ing of the drunken wretches alone disturbed the quiet 
of the cellar, Louis whispered : 

“ Do you know nothing of these strange apartments, 
Angelina ? ” 

“ No, Louis ; absolutely nothing about the place 
down here.” 

“ Then we can only rely on assistance from with- 
out.” 

“ But who is aware of our circumstances? ” 

“ Jeremy certainly is, Angelina.” 

“ But suppose he is dead, or has fled from the 
building.” 


THE MYSTEBY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


189 


“ If dead, God will provide for us ; if living and 
outside, he will return, and his ready wit and disguise 
shall gain him admission to us.” 

“ O God ! grant that he may soon come to our 
aid ; but I fear he will be interrupted, as a stricter 
surveillance, no doubt, is placed upon the house. 
Oh, how dreadful if he has fallen by the assassin’s 
knife ! Oh, where are my darling sisters ? ” 

“ Rest assured, Angelina, they are safe ; and how 
often has not our devoted friend escaped their 
murderous strokes.” 

“ Louis, he could not have escaped ; your life is in 
danger here ; don’t protect me longer. I can die 
without regret. ” 

A century seemed to have elapsed since the sudden 
ending of the trial, and yet not much longer than 
twenty -four hours went by. A day and part of a night 
of horror followed patient watching on the part of the 
lovers, who, of all the inmates of the room, alone were 
awake. Suddenly among the sleeping Masons ap- 
peared a dim light, and behold ! there was the doctor, 
covered with blood — a hideous looking sight — gazing 
into the faces of the sleepers. A cry of terror broke 
from the girl’s lips that revealed their concealment. 
The searcher, startled by the voice, lifted his grimy 
countenance, and lo ! before him stood the soldier, 
whose disguise suited the occasion admirably ! For 
some minutes they viewed each other in utter amaze- 
ment. Jeremy stretched forth his hand and shook 
the Mason’s wounded member so warmly that the 
latter hissed a curse under his breath. 


190 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Don’t ye know me, old boy. Shure it takes a 
dacent man to know a devil wherever he meets him.” 

The doctor thought that he had a drunken fellow 
to contest with, and proceeded anew with his search. 
Jeremy staggered after him. 

“ What are ye about ? ” 

“ Confound your prying impudence ! you ask 
questions that don’t concern you in the least. Did 
you not see me worsed by that infernal spy, and is it 
thus you mock me ? ” 

“ Oh, I see, yer searching for him ; go ahead, and 
I’ll watch for him, too. Where do you think he is?” 

“ Dead, I suppose ; I want' his carcass.” 

The physician passed on from one sleeper to an- 
other, glancing fiercely at each in turn. The Irish- 
man’s heartbeat wildly as he considered the possible 
sad fate of his friend ; and he, too, observed the physi- 
ogomy of each Mason sprinkled with gore, in hopes of 
first reaching Louis. An occasional groan made him 
shudder. Their nasal organs made a dismal sounding 
orchestra. Some laughed sardonically in their sleep, 
while others painfully moaned. While the doctor and 
the sexton were bent on their voyage of discovery, a 
light flashed suddenly around them. The darkness 
which overshadowed the dungeon disappeared, and a 
light blue sky, tinged by the golden streaks of the set- 
ting sun, arose overhead. The faces of the sleepers 
presented a sickly aspect, for on all stood a deep 
sense of dread. Their bodies turned and twisted into 
every conceivable shape. Two great white-peaked 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


191 


mountains raised their lofty tops above vast clouds 
that rose in the western horizoi As quickly as the 
piercing rays of the sun reflected on their stately 
heads, they began to belch out fire and smoke. Down 
came the fiery lava, sweeping trees, stones and earth 
and whatever was in its path. A flood of molten 
metal surged about the dreaming wretches, and when 
everything was submerged except the grim faces of 
the sleepers, which looked as dank shrubbery growing 
above the tide, the sun sank quickly down, and the 
moon, bright and silvery, rose high in the heavens. 
Softly came the merry peal of bells as down the 
silvery stream a magnificent gondola was propelled. 
In the stern sat the white-haired caliph clad in his 
span white silken robe and wearing on his head a 
small red silk turban. Arranged around the golden 
boat were his ten satellites dressed in crimson gowns, 
bending their golden oars in the silvery tide. A 
more beautiful sight could not have been seen. High 
over the waves on a promontory stood the Irishman 
and the Mason, and a little distance below them, on a 
sharp ledge that extended into the sea, were the two 
lovers. At intervals the caliph stood up, and out of 
a great book read and sang alternately long extracts, 
with his face turned in the direction of the East. 
When he ceased, the red men rested on their oars 
and cried at the top of their voices : “ Allah ! Allah ! 
God is God, and Mahomet is his prophet.” 

Farther down the lake they plied their oars, until 
they came to the young couple. Instantly they 


192 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


made for the rock on which they were standing. 
Angelina and Louis, like two ship- wrecked survivors, 
gladly jumped into the boat. The gondola was im- 
mediately headed for the harbor. The molten mass 
began to recede, and, wonderful to behold ! it flowed 
up hill as precipitously as it before descended. 
Green, blue and red lights welcomed the bark at its 
landing, and the ground around was honey-combed 
with all the figures of varied-colored fire which the 
torrent had left behind. Up from the wharf a magnifi- 
cent mosque raised its dome. There the cortege pro- 
ceeded, followed by the Masons, who had risen from 
the overwhelming tide. They presented a weird 
spectacle. Their clothing covered with a substance 
like quick-silver, sparkled brightly as they passed 
underneath the varied-colored lights that skirted the 
roadway. Their faces, however, were far from pre- 
sentable. Some wore deep cuts, others had black- 
ened eyes, and all were a little worse from their share 
in the melee. They were indeed a motley crowd. 
The ten robed red men led the march. The great 
bell in the lofty tower pealed forth its sonorous toll. 
The doors of the massive structure were thrown open, 
and the strange assembly marched in. The elegance 
of the paintings and the exquisite lines of art were 
lost on all save the young lovers. Louis saw there, 
with the eye of a well trained artist, that the great 
master-hands of the world had lent their genius and 
skill to decorate the splendid temple. Twelve col- 
umns of polished granite supported the roof, which was 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


193 


of concave style of architecture. Windows stained 
with figures dear to the Christian heart stood at 
different intervals. The frescoing of the walls and 
the roof was superb. There were no seats in the edi- 
fice. The cortege marched to the centre of the build- 
ing, whete it halted. The doctor and the Irishman, 
who had followed the Masonic troop, took their stand 
by the side of the lovers, who were in a position near 
to the white-robed prophet. The half-turned-down 
lights flashed brightly and showed an interior full 
of wonderment. The scene was indescribable. It 
must have closely resembled that which the enchant- 
ed Aladdin saw in the land of Nod. The pale face cf 
Angelina recovered something of its usual color 
and beauty. Louis, too, was more cheerful. It was 
icult to tell how the Irishman appeared under his 
Adages, but the doctor certainly bore that scowl- 
/g, ugly expression which we have seen so often 
\printed on his countenance. In the circle of red 
\n knelt the prince, with his head turned in the 
ection of the East. He prayed long and loud in 
/me mysterious fashion, known only to his satellites, 
vho responded with wild shouts. Suddenly there 
appeared before them an idol, the most hideous thing 
imaginable. Then broke forth a wild uproar : “ God 
is God, and Mahomet is his prophet ! ” the red men in- 
cessantly proclaimed. This declaration was kept up 
all the while the chieftain and his tribe postrated 
themselves before the disgusting mass of disfigured 
red clay. The ceremony being finished, the proces- 


194 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


sion filed out by a rear door. It made its way down a 
gloomy road to the sea. The caliph gazed far out 
into the darkness, but could observe nothing. He 
raised his wonder-working sceptre aloft, and peals of 
v slow rolling thunder were heard from the sky above. 
The heavens were obscured. A flash of lightning re- 
vealed a black whale-shaped boat tossed up and down 
by the waves of the great incoming tide. It was empty 
and yet steered mystically, as if guided by a master’s 
hand, to where the procession was in waiting. The 
thunder bellowed louder at every flash of lightning. 
The sea was swept wildly by the wind. Huge billows 
dashed against the boat that had been secured by 
the red men, but this did not prevent the prince from 
entering it. His followers did likewise. Ang;elina 
hesitated, and held to the hand of her lover com 
sively, but two Masons ushered her and her com], 
ion into the boat much against their wills. Then t 
lowed the wearers of the aprons, and lastly, Jerem 
arm in arm with the doctor. All were on board, a 
large legs of mutton sails were reefed and put bef 
the wind, and the strange party bade farewell to tl 
shore. They had not sailed far out when gigantic 
waves accompanied by a downpour of rain threat- ^ 
ened every instant to submerge all on board. High 
on top of mountainous waters, now low in their val- 
ley, the mysterious bark rose and fell. The light- 
ning revealed the terror-stricken faces of all save the 
prince, who sat undisturbed at the helm. A vivid 
glare of light, the passengers lurched the boat to one 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


195 


side, and the Irishman was thrown headlong into the 
relentless old ocean, the impenetrable blackness con- 
cealing the boat as he rose to the surface. 


CHAPTER XL 

“ YOU HAVE PLAYED ME FALSE.” 

ORTUNE, however, favored the Irishman, and 
he was landed safely on a ledge of rocks 
that jetted out into the sea. He walked 
along this in a careful manner, as the wind was still 
blowing a violent gale and the waves dashed more 
furiously in the tempest-lashed sea. At last, worn out 
by the fierce battle he had gone through, he finally 
reached a point whereon was built a light-house. 
The place was deserted, and having entered it, fa- 
tigued, he lay down and fell asleep. His thoughts, 
even in dreams, reverted to the all-absorbing Mystery 
of the Yellow Manse. He prayed to God to assist 
him. He alone could remove the difficulties that 
obstructed its solution. “ Who is this Miss Angel- 
ina ? Is she really the daughter of Omar ? What 
power had caused all these strange phenomena ? Is 
he a devil in human form ? ” This last thought 
aroused him from his troubled repose. The rain 
continued to fall on the angry waters. The soldier 
made an examination of the surroundings. He saw 
a great search-lamp, which he quickly lighted. Its 
gleam shone to a long distance. He saw what ap- 



196 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

peared to be a ship in distress near the ledge, and he 
lowered the light till it reflected directly upon it. 
He recalled to mind that the lovers might sorely need 
his help. He heard the shouts of the red men as 
they realized that their cries of distress were answered. 
“ Allah! ” they roared, while the terrified Masons wept 
like children. The caliph sat stiffly and sternly in 
the rear of the boat, apparently unconscious of the 
surroundings. The faces of Angelina and Louis wore 
a mingled look of sadness and weariness. Gallantly 
the rowers strove to keep the half-sunken boat afloat 
above the water until they could reach the land. 
Alas ! they were exhausted. The bark, which was 
partly filled with water, was fast sinking, — and it 
must have gone quickly to the bottom had not Jer- 
emy, seeing a small boat on the stays, put away to 
the rescue. The soldier’s craft had no sooner reached 
the submerged one than the doctor, who was fearful 
of being swallowed up in the yawning deep, made a 
jump for Jeremy’s boat, and lucky for the sexton, it 
was short, and the red rascal landed, to his conster- 
nation, in the water. Jeremy could not help laughing 
at his predicament as he dragged his unfortunate 
enemy into his boat. 

Angelina, Louis and the caliph were next taken 
aboard by the Irishman and rowed quickly to 
safety. Having landed them at the light house, he 
again set out for the sinking bark. Six of the red 
men climbed into Jeremy’s skiff, and the sinking 
whale-back, being relieved of its burden, partly rights 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 197 

ed itself, and wliile several of the stronger Masons 
took the oars, the Irishman threw them a rope and 
piloted them to shore. The caliph addressed those 
in the boats in some mysterious language, and raising 
his staff high above his head, executed some queer 
antics, during which the whole scene underwent a 
wonderful transformation. All present were con- 
trolled by his influence, except the stout-hearted sex- 
ton. Nature itself changed under his magic spell. 
Instead of the sea that broke so violently over the 
rocks, there now appeared a vast floor of crystal. The 
search-light had burned out, and everything was in 
darkness for some time until a chandelier with flam- 
ing torches of every describable color swung into view, 
suspended in the air. The ledge of rock was trans- 
formed into a grand gallery of antique design, and the 
light-house resembled a kingly throne, before which 
sat the lovers. On the floor below, the Masons grace- 
fully paid homage to their Supreme Master who sat on 
the throne. While this ceremony was in progress, 
a deep silence pervaded the place. When everything 
was ready, the prince arose, and in a loud voice said : 

“ Come hither, Miss Angelina.” 

The lady slowly responded to the summons. The 
doctor ran from the gallery and offered her his arm, but 
she ignored him. The other red men who remained 
on the floor below stood with ears and mouths open, 
waiting to catch every word that fell from their 
master’s lips. The caliph, glancing sharply into the 
eyes of the girl in black, addressed her : 


198 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“So, madam, after repeated refusals, I am in- 
formed that you have consented to be my bride.” 

The doctor moved somewhat nervously at this re- 
mark, while Louis stood up with a defiant air. The 
lady laughed heartily, and gave an affirmative answer 
with a low bow. 

“Ha! ha! perseverance wins at last.” 

“ She will never become your wife, Sir Caliph ; 1 
have first claim.” 

“ Know you not, young man, that I am Prince Omar, 
the lawful heir to the throne of Mahomet ? How dare 
you oppose the decrees of heaven ! ” 

“ Aye, prince, if you were the king of the universe, 
much less the aspirant to the tottering dynasty of Con- 
stantinople, the fair city which your despicable and 
idolatrous forefathers wrenched from my Christian 
ancestors, I would resist your claim.” 

“ A Christian dog ! ” 

“Better a Christian dog than an infidel whelp. 5 ’ 

The prince shook with rage. 

“Do you understand that she loves me? ” 

“ Base falsifier, remove from her the devilish charm 
you have placed around her, leave her to herself, and 
if she is willing to have you for a partner, I will 
gladly relinquish my title to her.” 

“Proud, stubborn creature, are you not in my 
hands? This instant I could command that your 
head be taken off to ornament my gate-posts.” 

“ Not exactly ; for should a Bonaparte see it, then 
your black crimes would be punished as deserved.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 199 

“A Napoleon amongst us." 

“ A direct descendant in heart and admiration of 
the general that made you cry for mercy at Cairo.” 

The young painter’s words fell on the ears of the 
deeply concerted caliph like a thunderbolt. It was 
only a haphazard remark of a name that worked 
more terror in the hearts of the enemies of France 
than a Krupp gun could have done. 

“ My young friend, I would not have asked you to 
give up the hand of Angelina but for the promise 
she made to her mother — the dear departed Lucile.” 

“ Angelina, Angelina,” the young lover cried, “is it 
true that you have plighted your throth to a pagan? 
Speak, are you engaged to be that devil’s wife ? ” 

Lady Angelina stood unmoved by the heart-rend- 
ing plea, and when he paused at length, she unhesitat- 
ingly answered : 

“ I love him ; Louis, you are a Christian.” 

“ Do you believe me now ? ” hissed the caliph. 

“ No woman could love a usurper, a conspirator, a 
coward.” 

“ Christian unbeliever, spy, by sword, by fire, and 
all that is cruel you shall die.” 

The trial had gone far enough to suit the Irishman, 
who had cautiously moved forward to the throne. He 
saw that Louis suffered more from the rejection of 
Angelina than the caliph’s sentence. 

“Steady ! steady ” he shouted, as if he were com- 
manding a company of dragoons. The red men set 
up their deafening noise, and the prince, seeing some 


200 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

uneasiness arising that he could not control, an- 
nounced the council adjourned. This came so unex- 
pectedly to the assemblage, that they hissed the 
decree of their leader. The latter, to retain his pres- 
tige and restore his favor among the lodge members, 
addressed them as they were filing out. 

“ Brothers all : you are cordially invited to attend 
my wedding, which has been set for the tenth moon.” 

The Irishman stood behind after the prince con- 
cluded. The influence which the prince exercised 
was marvellous. He manoeuvred his wand once more, 
and darkness covered the place. This lasted only for 
a moment, and when it faded away they were seated 
in a large, square room whose walls were a pretty 
shade of light blue, studded with stars of gold. 
The painter had no doubt imitated the landscape of 
some grand night, and he certainly performed his 
task admirably. The clouds, white and dark blue, 
seemed to soar aloft through a lighter veil of crimson 
in the western sky, while the new moon tried to break 
through them. The furniture of the room was of 
polished mahogany, consisting of six handsome pieces. 
The doctor and the soldier occupied richly embroid- 
ered settees on either side. In the centre of the room 
was a richly carved table, on whose marble top rested 
a brazen lamp, with a red silken shade, that cast its 
pleasant shadows about the room and upon the red 
men who were smoking their pipes peacefully in 
the corner. A large tete-a-tete stood at the end of the 
room, upon which sat the white-robed chieftain, while 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 201 

Louis stood facing him by the side of a large easy 
rocker. Angelina, who had been absent, returned 
to the side of the old red chief, having discarded her 
black dress for one of white silk of the richest material. 
Age and beauty were there contrasted. Both were 
clad in white, and in this alone did they resemble 
each other. The large blue eyes of Angelina peer- 
ing into the little ferret eyes of the caliph, showed 
the beauty of the one and the ugliness of the other 
in bolder relief. The features of the one were de- 
cidedly pretty, while those of the other were extremely 
homely. The artist, who stood as mute as a statue, 
looked pale and wan, and it was a matter of conject- 
ure how the doctor and the Irishman appeared. 
At any rate, there must have been something 
peculiar about the latter which the caliph did not 
relish, for he moved uneasily when he met the sexton's 
eyes. Maybe the occasional wink with which Jeremy 
met the gruff stare of the prince might have caused his 
wrath to boil. No one dared to utter a remark, but 
the grimaces of the caliph spoke volumes, which his 
followers were too sleepy to interpret properly. If 
the countenance of Angelina was particularly bright, 
that of Louis was sadly dejected, while from the 
inexpressible and changeful face of the prince you 
could not tell whether he was going to laugh or cry, 
and it was only after a careful study you eventually 
discovered that he was going to do neither, as this 
was his natural expression. At a distance he seemed 
to be a venerable personage of mild and placid mien, 


202 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

but powder and paint had done all that for him, and 
when you drew nearer you could see at once his hid- 
den ugliness. It did not take the Irishman many 
minutes to find out that unless he began some line 
of action he would be soon peremptorily dismissed 
from the caliph’s presence. Finally revolving many 
things in his brain, he broke the death-like silence : 

“ Christian, why penetrate the mystery of this 
house ? A spy, entrapped as nicely as a cuckoo in a 
cage.” 

“ Spy ! ” cried the doctor, awakening from his 
snooze. He glanced sharply around, and seeing the 
crest-fallen Louis, yelled with all his lung force : 
“ Spy ! rival ! you shall not escape me this time.” 

The frantic auburn-haired physician flung his coat 
off as if he were making ready to dissect a carcass. 

“ Villain ! ” bawled the caliph, staring fiercely at the 
artist ; “ you have attempted to reveal the secret of 
our order.” 

In the meantime the soldier was carefully watching 
the actions of the jealous medicine man. The young 
painter’s head bent low for an instant, and the death 
dealing doctor rushed upon him with a glistening 
blade in his grasp. He would have stabbed Louis 
had not Jeremy pulled his little revolver, and firing 
at the quack, sent him tumbling and howling on top 
of the red gowns. The wounded Mason, thinking 
that the end of his life was approaching, moaned 
bitterly : 

“ A minister, a priest — some one ; I am dying.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 203 

The dreaming red men jumped to their feet and 
ran hither and thither. Bedlam broke out within 
the place. The sharp eyes of Louis were steadfastly 
centred upon the prostrate form of the wounded 
man. The caliph forgot his cunning. He lifted his 
magic sceptre, but its wonder-working power had fled. 
He grew pale and shook with fright as Lady Angel- 
ina, with a cry of exultation, rushed into the arms of 
her lover. 

“ Back, madam, you are a deceiver, an arch-hypo- 
crite. I have trusted you more than all other women, 
and you have proved false to me. Back, I say, else 
I’ll — I’ll kill you,” stammered the artist. 

Angelina awoke from her lethargy. Her cheeks 
were a livid hue, while her eyelids dropped down 
on her beautiful eyes as heavy as lead. She advanced, 
half-blinded by tears, toward where Louis was seated, 
and shaking off the deadly pallor, she addressed the 
Kabbi : 

“ Prince of evil, you have shown me off in black 
colors. Scoundrel ! rascal ! wretch ! you have played 
me false.” 

Her lovely face grew furious. King Balthazzar 
could not have been more surprised when he saw the 
mysterious hand writing on the wall, than was the 
caliph when he found that the power he had exercised 
over the young lady had gone from him. 

‘‘0 Father Mahomet,” he appealed with loud 
supplication. “ Gabriel, hear thy prophet. God is 
God, and is not Mahomet still his prophet ? ” 


204 


the uncrowned prince ; or, 


“ Mahomet is a devil,” was the response of a death- 
sounding voice. 

The caliph shrugged his shoulders and scowled 
fiercely. The yells of the doctor were fearful to 
listen to. The red men asked aid for their wounded 
companion, who had now relapsed into unconscious- 
ness. The prince whistled shrilly, and instantly a 
crowd of his henchmen darted from all sides into the 
room, raising their hatchets high above their heads. 
They saw the young lovers, and bound Louis hand 
and foot. As they bore him away the artist saw his 
darling fly into the outstretched arms of the prince. 
Jeremy wondered how all this was brought about. 
The doctor had partly recovered, and shrieked out : 
“ A minister ! Oh, a minister ! ” 

The caliph, addressing the soldier, said : 

“ Go and bring the minister of our order to this 
man — the Eeverend Mr. Long.” 

The prince took Angelina’s arm, and four red men 
carried the doctor away. The lights were lowered, 
and the Irishman in the confusion sought the secret 
passage to freedom. 


CHAPTER XII. 

“ ARE YOU, TOO, A TRAITOR ? ” 

JEREMY walked rapidly through the long 
hallway which had been the scene of his 
hurried flight when the drunken Masons, 
like madmen, sought his scalp. He thought he 




THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


205 


remembered the passage too well to mistake his way, 
but, alas ! he had done so. He was lost in the great 
windings of the crooked old house. He ventured, 
after wandering about for some time, to enter one 
of the dark rooms, in the hope that it might lead him 
to the staircase. He pulled hard ; at first the door 
appeared locked, but suddenly there was a clock-like 
action in the knob, and it sprang wide open. The 
place was pitch black. In one corner of the room 
he was horrified to find himself among mangled 
and maimed bodies. Were they all murdered ? 
Instruments of the ghouls showed that some of them 
at least had been snatched from the grave. He could 
not bear to look at them, and ran hither and thither, 
not knowing were he was going. In another place 
he saw fierce looking mummies stored on shelves many 
feet high. On another side there were all kinds 
of stuffed animals — a menagerie too gruesome to 
witness, even in broad daylight, without a shudder. 
It was a lucky chance that he had been lost in the 
strange enclosure, for as he opened another great 
door, he saw his friend behind iron bars— a prisoner, 
with the red men carefully guarding him. The Irish- 
man had another purpose than trying just then to liber- 
ate Louis, and he did not attempt a rescue. He had 
cautiously numbered his steps, marked out the 
angles in his mind, until he came to where the door 
clicked, and he was once more like a chess master 
following his skilful “ king.” He sought again the 
entrance to the corridor, and having at last come to it, 


206 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

he recollected the combination, and once more steady- 
ing his bearings, he was soon flying up the elevatoi 
to the cupola, which he descended this time safely. 
It was dusk as the Irishman made his way by a cir- 
cuitous route to the rectory. He there found the 
two priests in conversation with Sister Marguerite. 
They were talking of the Yellow Manse when the old 
soldier familiarly opened the door of the parlor with- 
out knocking. All three were surprised at the 
intruder. The pastor frowned at him threateningly : 

“ How dare you come here without an apology of 
some sort ! ” 

“I’m on business, and shure I thought that me 
face would admit me without any certificate, so I 
offered none.” 

“ Business ought to be conducted in a straight- 
forward manner.” 

“ But the business is crooked, and what then, yer 
riverence ? Father Rogers, are ye blarneying me 
again ? Don’t ye know Jeremy Owens, yer sexton? ” 

There was a cry of exultation from all present. 
The rector shook the hand of the Irishman warmly. 

“ Wh&t news ? ” asked the curate. 

“ Have you solved the mystery ? ” queried the nun, 
enthusiastically. 

“ Plenty of news, yer riverence, but, Sister dear, I 
can’t say that I’ve solved much. The fact is, the more 
I find out about the Manse, the more limited, I con- 
fess, me power of construction becomes. Louis and 
I have put two and two together, and we fail to agree 
on the fine points.” . 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 207 
“ Where is Mr. James ? ” 

“ In confinement, yer riverence, but with the help 
of Father Rogers we will afford him relief.” 

“ How, Jeremy, can we assist him ? ” 

“ Simply by accompanying me when I am ready. 
There is a poor wretch crying for a minister near by, 
and you will, I think, be the best to console him.” 

Worriment left its lines on all present Father 
Rogers had grown ten years older since the accident, 
and the curate and the nun were only shadows of 
their former selves. None of the priests offered to 
speak, and Sister Marguerite, whose soul was filled 
to the brim, could not restrain herself : 

“ Have you learned, Jeremy, that any of the crimes 
enumerated by my dying father were in any way 
connected with my family ? ” 

The sexton was confused. “ I hope not, and may 
God forbid ; yet I wouldn’t be at all surprised to 
learn at last that all of us are connected to a greater 
or less extent in the wonderful case. Ha ! ha ! shure 
I’ve been considerin’ often, if I ain’t really a relative 
to some one beyant, there’s something wrong. 
Wouldn’t it turn out fine if pretty Angelina was an 
Q wens — about the fifth in order of generation ; then I 
might forget me own Molly and raise her to the first 
degree of Owens’s.” 

The redeeming feature of the Irishman’s humor 
had a happy effect ; the curate and the nun smiled, 
and the pastor chuckled at the pleasantry of his 
sexton. 


208 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“When have you seen Miss Liffey, Jeremy ?” 
inquired the rector. 

“ Och ! over a week ago, and I fear the worse when 
we meet. Molly is very touchy, so she is, and maybe, 
instead of a love affair, it will be a real fight with 
clubs up, and me lady holding the trump.” 

“ I will explain for you, Jeremy 

“ Musha, bad luck to the ill luck that obstructs me 
way. One smile of the dearest, sweetest face that 
ever beamed on a mortal, and a second life would 
invigorate me languishing heart. But, no ; I will 
never let love and duty*fight each other. Louis J ames 
must be rescued, and, Father, we must be about our 
task.” 

Sister Marguerite and Father Delon bade a fond 
good evening as the pastor and the servant began to 
chat confidentially. Jeremy told the rector all he 
had heard and seen, and sought his advice on diffi- 
culties that he did not care to solve. Having ended 
which, they proceeded to formulate their plans. 

“Now, Father, you will come with me to-night, and 
let me tell you in the start so that you won’t be scan- 
dalized, the Riverent Mr. Long will be your com- 
panion. We must nevertheless get a bit of advantage 
on him, so ye wont be shocked if I ask ye to cover up 
yer collar a little and pull down yer hat a bit, for it’s 
a mighty damp night — and shure they say such 
weather is bad for the head and throat anyway — and 
go straight ahead without delay to the Yellow 
Manse, while I’ll in the meantime inform Mr. 


THE MYSTERY OP THE YELLOW MANSE. 209 

Long. Don’t worry, yer riverence, the entrance 
will be aisy.” 

The soldier, as quick as he got assurance of the 
pastor that he would go as desired, went in search of 
the dominie. After many tedious inquiries he found 
the minister’s residence. The divine had not gone 
out after dark since the night of his midnight bath 
in company with the Jew, and he rather reluctantly 
accompanied the sexton. After much persuasion, 
however, he consented to go, and with Jeremy con- 
siderable in advance, they marched to the Yellow 
Manse. Meanwhile Father Rogers had gained 
admittance to the mysterious old house, a privilege 
that he long desired. No idle curiosity prompted 
his wish. He had observed much, and he only 
desired to know what the sequel of it all might be. 
The pastor of St. Mary’s was no sensationalist pul- 
piteer. He believed in working quietly and effective- 
ly to bring souls to virtue. He was indeed a true 
follower of his Master. No morbid craving for 
popular applause took possession of him in the 
present mystery ; scandal alone prevented him from 
an open exposure of the doings of the Yellow Manse. 
Moreover, he understood that he had to acquire sub- 
stantial evidence of the evils done therein, and he 
prudently hesitated before he would manifest them. 
The minister was of a different calibre altogether. 
He could not fill his present position unless he 
could handle up-to-date questions scientifically and 
rhetorically to suit his aristocratic audience. It was 


210 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


for no other purpose than to suit the whimsies of a 
fastidious flock that the Reverend Mr. Long was called 
to his present charge. They had tired of bibles, and 
the most sublime parts of Scripture never touched their 
enlightened hearts, and consequently they shipped 
them to the South Sea Islands — and for what? — be- 
cause they themselves had forgotten their God. They 
had now their choice in a man whose chief aim in life 
was money and adulation. The patient lay on a cot in 
a small white-washed room in the cellar. The priest 
knelt by his side, endeavoring to rouse him from the 
stupor that had come over him. The rector was not 
long at his work when Jeremy and the minister 
entered. The clergymen eyed each other, and the 
parson elbowed himself forward until he stood by 
the bedside of the patient. There was silence in the 
apartment until the injured man began to rave. 

“ Miss Angelina, I know the secret of your life.” 

The dominie edged uneasily a little nearer to the 
bedside and placed his hand on the wounded doctor’s 
mouth. 

“ Arrah, me riverent sir, do ye wish to take the bit 
of breath that is in him out of him ? ” 

The minister blushed furiously and replied : 

“Well, friend, he is not responsible for what he 
says.” 

“ That’s all the more reason that you should let 
him say what he will ; shure ravin’ is like dreamin’ 
— ye are not accountable for that.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! young man, you are my rival ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 211 

The ugly physican gazed at the Irishman and 
laughed loudly. Jeremy was frightened, but re- 
covered himself in an instant. 

“ Louis James, you have crossed my path, and you 
are doomed to die a violent death. Ha ! my good 
old knife shall taste your heart’s blood ! ” 

The priest turned and moved away from the couch ; 
the minister did likewise. 

“Life,” he continued, moaning bitterly, “what do I 
care for life when the lady of my love has departed 
from me ! Death to the vagabond that caused my 
grief. Death to myself ; but not yet. The devil and 
that accursed brotherhood have commanded me to 
fulfill another oath. O miserable alliance against 
everything sacred ! ” 

The minister hastily walked to the head of the bed. 
The sufferer shook like one afflicted with a terrible 
fit of ague. The parson stroked the cheeks of the 
doctor to keep back the plot that was evidently 
forthcoming. The soldier, not to be outdone in his 
attention to the patient, approached a little closer also. 

“Oh, I have tired of all around me. The house of 
Omar is attacked on all sides and is destined soon to 
fall into ruin and disgrace. It is haunted, mystified, 
electrified by the Turk. A spy, a rival stands nigh ! ” 

The doctor smoted the dominie’s hand in com- 
tempt. The latter was in grief. He was bound by 
oath to still with death the babbling tongue of a 
brother-Mason. He bent over the cot ; the soldier 
did likewise, and the minister shouted to J eremy : 


212 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Go, leave tlie place/’ 

u Leave the place is it, and put me brother into yer 
hands ? — not a foot.” 

“ Kabbi Omar, you have ruined me. You taught 
me gambling, spiritism, and all the black arts, to ex- 
ercise at your command. I was your hireling, your 
tool. No social standing, no home; a traitor to my 
self, to my family, and my country, and spies and rivals 
to contend with. Confound the spy ! 1 would rather 

see this house and its secrets buried in hell than 
they be brought to light, and yet I would tell all the 
oaths of the lodge, even the great conspiracy against 
my country, to win the hand of Lady Angelina.” 

The doctor opened his eyes aghast. 

“ Have I been wandering in my thoughts ? Have 
I agitated you, Mr. Long ? ” 

The parson was too dumbfounded to speak. He 
sized up the physician in awe. The latter sat up in 
the bed, and stared wildly around the room. 

“ Who is that man ? ” 

Jeremy turned in the direction indicated, and saw 
the rector passing out of the narrow doorway. 

“ Go, bring him back.” 

The soldier obeyed the command, and went in 
search of the rector, who had disappeared in the 
outer darkness. He soon came to a strange lake, 
over which was suspended a draw-bridge in the air. 
Strange cries grated on his ears, and amidst the 
scuffling he distinguished the young artist’s voice 
gasping out : “ Murder,” 


THE MYSTEKY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


213 


Instantly lie thought of going to his aid. He saw 
that the bridge was of no use to reach Louis, and 
without the least hesitation he dove into the black 
waters and struck out with all speed for the opposite 
bank. As he came to a small rope ladder that 
would have admitted him to the landing, he saw two 
piercing black eyes watching down upon him. 

“ Spy ! ” hissed his antagonist as he jumped on the 
soldier, at the same time dealing him a terrible blow 
with a cudgel. Then commenced a struggle between 
the two contestants. Not a word was uttered — an 
occasional splash alone told that the battle was still 
on. The sexton, feeling that the odds were against 
him, resolved to fight as he had never before done, 
rather than now surrender, when he saw how much 
was at stake. Being an expert swimmer, he sank 
deeply below the tide, and catching his enemy by the 
legs, pulled him down and implanted him in the mud. 
He quickly rose to the surface and struck out 
gallantly for the shore. The enraged and partly 
choked adversary came to the surface and followed 
the sexton in quick pursuit. Before Jeremy reached 
the rope he became greatly exhausted, and would have 
succumbed but for the dreadful circumstances that 
urged him on. He saw once more in the flickering 
light the glassy eye balls of the Turk, he heard the 
gasp of his young friend in the murderer’s embrace, 
and a moment later felt the sting of a dirk flash 
across his face. The Irishman with a groan of pain 
sank beneath the sombre tide. With a shriek of 


214 THE UNCROWNED PBINCE ; Oii, 

exultation tile red man awaited for his foe to rise 
till he would finish him. One supreme effort, and 
the wily Irishman fetched underneath the waters, 
and when he rose again he had in his trembling 
grasp his small revolver. No sooner did the fright- 
ened and maddened Turk see the dark object than he 
swam rapidly toward ifi Then was renewed the 
desperate struggle. The sexton awaited his onset, 
and as they came face to face he fired point blank. 
The Turk gave a mighty shout and sank. Jeremy 
did not wait to ascertain the result of the injuries he 
had inflicted, but painfully pulled himself to the 
landing. Here he had another encounter to undergo, 
but he was too weak to resist. 

A burly, long- jawed red man would have choked 
him had not the genial pastor interfered. In a 
thrice the soldier and the priest had the assailant 
bound in the cell in which they found their friend 
Louis. It took but a few minutes to release the 
artist, and, thanks to the skill of the painter and 
the rector, Jeremy was fit to fight another battle at 
a moment’s notice. 

“ What means, J eremy, shall we use to cover up 
my escape ? ” 

“ Why, me good friend, just take the gown off the 
Turk and put your clothes on him.” 

This was certainly a feasible plan, and the artist 
and sexton soon disrobed the very unwilling prisoner. 
Louis looked like a true devotee of Mahomet when 
his toilet was complete. He stained his face with the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


215 


red mud of the lake, mixed with a solution of tobacco 
juice, pencilled his eye-brows and hair, and filled his 
long pipe, and was ready under this disguise to 
attempt the most desperate deeds of daring. 

“ It wants scarcely an hour for council to assemble, 
Louis, and in the meantime go and get all the knowl- 
edge possible of the premises and people, while 
Father Rogers and meself will keep our eyes open. 
The friends parted on their tour of investigation — 
Louis to one side, and the pastor and the sexton to 
another. The latter confined their search to the lower 
part of the house, while the young man, emboldened 
by his disguise, ascended a long staircase until he 
came to a high sheet iron door. He quietly turned 
the knob, but it refused to open. He tried again, and 
as he was about to give up in despair, the lock clicked, 
the door swung open and admitted him into the 
grandest studio he had ever seen. Large life-sized 
paintings of the saints, standing beside the busts of 
gods and goddesses of antiquity, greeted his eye. 
How his young heart leaped with joy when he saw 
the picture of the Blessed Virgin. In it he saw the 
traces of his love, Miss Angelina. It was evidently a 
work of the Middle Ages ; but how could he account 
for the likeness of the Lady of the Manse ? A statue 
stood off in another corner, which seemed to be an 
exact model of the painting. He gazed long and ear- 
nestly at these magnificent pieces of art, and then be- 
took himself into a conservatory which contained the 
choicest plants in full bloom. Roses and lilies inter- 


216 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE; OR, 


twining each other, gave forth a perfume — from under 
the palms and ferns that overshadowed them — that 
was really invigorating. Flowers of every species, 
representing all the flora of the Tropics, filled his 
heart with a deep, inspiring love of the mystic bounty 
of Nature. The next department that he entered was 
a hall of small dimensions, but elegantly fitted out. 
A stage set with superb scenery, showing a virgin 
country, stood in the background. A large unfinished 
picture of a mother and child, clasping the dead body 
of a parent in the last embrace, stood on an easel in 
one of the wings. The floor, devoid of carpets, was 
composed of highly polished boards as smooth as 
glass. Seats of red plush afforded home-like comfort 
to the guests that might attend the performance. To 
the right of the stage stood a handsome mirror, in 
which the artist saw, to his consternation, the white- 
headed caliph dogging his footsteps. He was par- 
alyzed with fear, nevertheless he tried to walk as coolly 
around the place as if he were alone. From the hall 
he proceeded through a beautifully furnished parlor, 
but seeing that the prince still followed him, he did 
not linger, and retraced his steps a few paces and 
dashed out a door, not knowing whither he was going. 
He heard the loud, coarse laugh of the caliph as 
he ran, and pausing a moment to see if he were 
still pursued, he heard the creak of a settee, and the 
artist felt satisfied that the caliph had lain down to 
rest. He walked quickly down a long corridor until 
a glass door stood in his way. He glanced in, and 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 217 

looking about in all directions, seeing no one, entered. 
The placed seemed deserted, and he was about to go 
out, when the angry cry of a woman startled him : 

“ Who dares to enter my prison without my per- 
mission ? ” 

The young artist turned his head, and saw Angelina 
clad in a plain white gown, with her long hair dis- 
hevelled and hanging down her back. 

“ Speak,” she cried, and her fine eyes danced in 
her head. 

“ Gracious lady, I am — I am,” stammered the artist, 
but he was interrupted. 

“ You are a devil come again to persecute me by 
trying to enforce me to become the wife of Omar ! ” 

“ Madam, I am—” 

“You are a traitor — a spy, whose presence I hate ! 
Tell me your purpose, quick.” 

“Be patient, Miss Angelina.” 

“ Patient, and destined to be a prisoner during my 
life. Villain, you speak with soothing tongue. Do 
not deceive me ; you are playing the hypocrite. Con- 
found your impudence ! You are unarmed ; I see your 
uneasiness.” 

“ Angelina, you treat me unjustly ; lam armed, and 
I fought with this in your defense. Take it,” and the 
the artist threw his revolver at her feet. 

“ Gallant hero, do you think that a woman has 
not courage enough to defend herself. Scoundrel ! 
she murmured, as she took up the weapon, “ is it thus 
you taunt the weakness of my sex ? I would not 


‘218 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

contaminate my hand by the shedding of your wicked 
blood in my own interest, but in the defense of my 
family and my country, I am ever ready to shoot 
down a treacherous conspirator when and wherever 
I meet him. Unfold the plot which you have laid 
for the destruction of France and the overthrow of 
the House of Louis.” 

“ I swear that I do not know of any. I am your 
friend.” 

“ My friend, and in the employ of the black prince. 

One ! ” shouted the enraged woman. “ By the time 
I count three, Sir Satan, you shall be a corpse, unless 
you consent to answer my question : What is the 
plot ? ” The artist was in a dilemma ; the whole frame 
of his beloved shook with determination. He did 
not want to reveal his identity, if possible, and he was 
doubtful whether or not her affection centred on him 
alone, and this he wished to finally determine. 

“ Two ! ” yelled the frantic woman, with greater 
vehemence than before. The artist, taking her una- 
wares, closed in upon her ; she fired ; the glass of the 
door was shattered into a thousand pieces, and the 
satellites of the caliph rushed in with their ever- 
gleaming hatchets raised high above their heads, 
ready for the signal of extermination, when the prince, 
who was at their head, motioned them away. At 
that instant she recognized the face of her lover, and 
she shrieked wildly : 

“xlh, Mr. James, are you, too, a traitor to the 
House of Louis ? ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


219 


CHAPTER XIII. 



A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 

|HEN Jeremy and Father Rogers had jour- 
neyed around the strange quarters below 
without discovering anything new, they 
resolved to go to the floor above. Accordingly they 
ascended a long pair of iron steps which admitted 
them to the culinary department. The soldier seized 
the pastor by the arm. 

“ Whist, yer riverence, if I’m not greatly mistaken, 
here’s where me own Molly works.” 

The Irishman stepped noiselessly into the pantry. 
Sure enough there was Molly, and with a shout that 
nearly scared her to death, he gave her a hearty kiss. 
For an instant she was stung with indignation : 

“ 111 luck to yer disjointed face ! If me own Jeremy 
were here, I would not suffer from yer foolish 
pranks.” 

The sexton moved another step forward, but Molly, 
seizing the poker, he retreated to a safe distance. 

“ Such impudence ! I’ll strike if ye attempt such a 
thing again.” 

“Dear Miss Liffey, I am well acquainted with Mr. 
Owens, and shure it’s yer own Jeremy I am.” 

“ Jeremy,” she shrieked wildly, “ if you still love me, 
goat once from here; you are in danger.” 

“ Begorrah, it’s a nice way to be treated by yer- 
self, Molly O’ Liffey — to be told to go out when I just 


220 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

got in ; faith, I’d like to know if all true lovers are 
treated like me ; if they are, well, they have a 
mighty hard road to travel.” 

“Go quick, Jeremy. Oh, do go — he will catch 
you.” 

“ Who, me dear ? ” 

“The devil.” 

“ The devil, you say ; how am I to get out ? ” 

“ Take this key and return the way you came.” 

He needed no further advice. He fled down the 
iron steps, with the old priest at his heels, until a 
a great oaken door prevented them from advancing 
any further. Jeremy put the key in the lock and 
turned and twisted, but it would not yield to his 
exertions. They were pursued. Nearer and nearer 
came the footsteps, until they rattled over them on 
the floor above. They were descending the steps, 
when at last the door sprung open. No sooner had 
the pastor slammed it after him than he heard a 
volley of oaths from the foiled pursuers. The apart- 
ment in which they found themselves was certainly 
unique. It was filled with beads, crosses, turbans 
and a variety of fancy work and bric-a-brac of all 
sorts. 

“ Father, this is a queer house. Now while we are 
masters of the situation, let us investigate the mys- 
terious window.” 

“Lead, Jeremy, and I will follow.” 

An iron stairway of two flights conducted them to 
a large, spacious room, where they were confronted 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 221 

by the strange window. It was a plain, ordinary 
glass window — albeit its shape, which was transversal 
so that the two parts of it formed a star. They 
looked through it out into the street, and saw the 
curate gazing out of the window across the way. The 
pastor stood in the middle of the room, glancing at 
the rectory, and the Irishman was studying a stranger 
who sat operating what appeared to be a monster 
dynamo. Figures, like the hieroglyphics of Egypt, 
were traced upon the black-board that hung from the 
wall. Jeremy observed that the strange man resem- 
bled the doctor, though much older. For a moment 
he scanned the heavens through the window, and 
then turned over the maps and began to study them. 
While thus engaged, the room grew suddenly dark. 
A star shone through the window and reflected on 
the workman’s homely features. The wheels of the 
mechanical device whirled around with indescribable 
activity, sending forth dazzling sparks that illum- 
inated the whole building. The trees around the 
Yellow Manse creaked and groaned, and slowly the 
rain descended, while the lightning flashed and the 
heavens’ artillery bellowed forth its tremendous 
peals. Suddenly the Irishman and the rector were 
startled in their hiding-place in the corner by a 
bolt that shot through the window and zigzagged 
around the room till it struck the dynamo. The bare 
room was instantly transformed into one of splen- 
dor. The figures on the boards reflected a charm- 
ing view of the heavens, wuth its thousand stars and 


222 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

wonders. The effusion of light refracted from the 
machine upon the face of the operator till it shone 
as the sun. 

“ The sky is connected with the earth — perpetual 
motion is solved,” whispered the Irishman. The 
priest did not reply, so appalled was he by the 
wonders that were performed by the strange device. 
A cry rang out, the machine stopped, and the magic 
worker rushed pell-mell from the room. The sexton 
and hi3 reverend friend listened, and in a moment 
the sharp whizz of a bullet told them that something 
was wrong on the floor below. 

“ Father, you go and find some secure place, and 
there await my summons/’ Saying this, the Irish- 
man raised a hatchway and descended into the midst 
of the excited lovers. His presence prevented the 
artist from being summarily dealt with by the blood- 
thirsty red men. All present were astounded as 
they saw the soldier slide down a brazen pillar from 
the upper story. They thought him crazy, and he 
gladly upheld them in their opinion. Wildly gestic- 
ulating, he got into a controversy with the red men, 
till the caliph by his power caused silence to come 
over the latter, but the sexton went on rattling away 
in his usual volubility. The prince, facing the young 
artist, addressed him : 

“ So you, thus disguised, have dared, against all 
opposition and in the face of death, to come and 
offer your hand to this young lady. Miss Angelina, 
dismiss him once for all.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 223 

Angelina stood like one dazed, and at the prince’s 
command said : “ Go, Louis James, to the death you 
deserve, and my farewell is a curse on you and all 
who may bear your name.” 

The young artist was stunned. Was he mistaken, 
or had his suspicions proved true? Was the woman 
a deceiver ?— yes, she had rejected him thrice. “ Oh, 
false woman, your treatment of me is despicable. 
I hate you ; you have betrayed all that is dearest 
to me. Remember, madam, my time of retribution 
will come, and I will laugh at your prayers and 
mock your tears.” 

“ Oh, trifler, your day for vengeance will never 
rise. You have dared to reveal the secrets of this 
house, and your penalty, which has already been 
decreed, shall be sufficient to punish a betrayer of 
our holy brotherhood.” 

“ I am really a spy in the interest of justice. You 
have carried the dark workings of the devil into the 
realms of civilization, and the time is drawing nigh 
when you, proud Sultan, shall suffer for poisoning 
innocent people by your black arts. The emblems 
of your order, an axe to pull down everything sacred, 
and a trowel to build up with the blood of Christians, 
a degenerate and immoral kingdom ! ” 

“ Do you forget that I am a prophet of the great 
Mahomet ? Prince Omar, and rightful heir to the 
throne of Constantinople? ” 

“ A prophet of Mahomet and Satan is one and the 


same. 


224 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

The red men raisedjtheir hatchets in a-threatening 
attitude. 

“ Oh, full well I know you are a prophet and that 
these are your imps.” 

“ Allah ! Allah ! ” the red men cried with rage, as 
with flaming eyes they only awaited the consent of 
their leader to hack the artist to pieces. 

“ So you know the Prophet Mahomet ? ” 

“ Aye, sir, scarcely less than yourself, while I pre- 
sume to understand the Koran better.” 

“ The Book ! the Book ! ” shouted all in accord. 

“Young man, you say that you understand the 
book better than I, who am a prophet, esteemed as 
an expounder of the maxims of that holy volume.” 

“ You are acquainted with one side of it, while I 
am perfectly informed as to the Pagan, Jewish, and 
Catholic part of it.” 

“ You err — it is wholly the composition of a Pagan.” 

“ That is false : it was written by a Jew converted 
to Christianity, who afterwards turned reprobate.” 

u I am a Kabbi, and why offer an insult ? ” 

“ A Babbi — whence came the title ? ” 

“ It was conferred on me by the synagogue when I 
saved the Jewish quarters from destruction in Paris/’ 

“A Parisian, me dacent acquaintance,” said the 
Irishman, moving forward and stretching forth his 
hand as if in expectancy of a hearty shake. The 
caliph, however, ignored him. The doctor grasped 
the soldier by the arm, but with that touch of which 
every son of Erin has some knowledge, Jeremy sent 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


225 


the meddlesome physician to the floor. The doctor, 
sore from his many previous conflicts, retired mutely. 
The caliph raised his sceptre. Six of the red men, 
understanding the signal, grasped the soldier and 
carried him struggling away. A terrible silence per- 
vaded the place until Angelina laid her hand gently 
upon the white-haired chieftain’s shoulder. Louis, 
appalled by the power the prince worked on all 
present, broke forth in a loud denunciation of the 
Eabbi : 

“Mesmerist and spirit-worker, bear in mind, if 
you can cast a spell around this young lady, you 
can exercise no charm over me. When she shall 
come to herself we shall know the truth. If then, 
foul hypnotizer, she professes her love for me, 
beware, caliph, rabbi, devil — beware ! ” 

All the while this stage of affairs was in progress, 
Angelina, as clearly cut and as white as marble, 
stood almost motionless. Occasionally she gave a 
half-piteous glance at Louis, but it was only for an 
instant. Like a statue, she watched all that went 
on as passively as if she had no concern in what was 
being enacted. The caliph, when not engaged in con- 
versation, appeared very morose. His face was like 
that of some monarch of antiquity newly risen to life. 
In the meantime Father Kogers had renewed the ac- 
quaintance of the charming twins — the Misses Lucile 
and Teresa. They recognized his kindly face, and 
were overjoyed to meet him again. The pastor 
heard the whole affair that passed between the cal- 


226 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

iph and Louis, and lie concluded wisely to keep 
silence and await developments. He learned from 
the children that they were closely guarded. They 
asked him for the Sisters, and their good friend, 
Jeremy. Pretty little innocents, enclosed day and 
night in the Yellow Manse, and weighed down by 
some sad tale that he could not fathom. While he 
was sorrowfully musing on the fate of the little ones, 
he was startled by the cries of the red men : “ Al- 

lah ! Allah ! murder. Brother drowning in the pool ! ” 

The red men came in, bearing the limp body of 
their fellow, while the jailer, whom Louis and the 
sexton imprisoned, still wore the chains and the 
clothes of the artist. Father Rogers, instructing 
the children to keep silence, hurried downstairs to 
an adjoining room, where he found the Irishman 
gagged and bound, whom he quickly freed. The 
priest could observe everything that happened 
in the room opposite, without being seen. The 
Rabbi shook as if with the palsy, and stammered out : 

“Soldiers of my staff, take the body away and 
release your companion ; no one is a witness.” 

“ No one a witness, hey ! Begorrah, I’m thinkin’ 
I’m a good one,” shouted the sexton, as he darted 
in the open doorway. 

“ Brothers all : the house is full of spies ; what 
shall we do? ” 

“ Kill them ! ” was the response to the caliph’s 
question. 

“ You had better just act a bit sensible, old man, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


227 


and don’t mind these blackguards,” remarked the 
Irishman, as he played carelessly with his revolver. 

“ Kill him ! ” cried the doctor ; “ he has murdered 
one of our brethren, and in justice he should die.” 

“ What is your name ? ” inquired the Reverend Mr. 
Long. 

“ I am a brother to me brother Mick, who died 
years ago in Ireland from the wounds inflicted by 
the Orangemen, whose associates ye are, yer river- 
ence. Did ye get yer answer ? Sir dominie, I’m 
surprised that ye associate with these black rascals.” 

“Spy!” 

“ You have spoken correctly, doctor ; I had me eye 
on ye long since, and saw yer well-planned design to 
marry Miss Angelina, and I’ll die before I’ll procure 
another meetin’ for you.” 

“ Rival ! ” snarled the Rabbi at the physician. 

Distant music resounded throughout the chamber, 
and all were astounded as a body of Masons — one 
hundred strong — marched in to the tune of the 
“ Marseilles.” 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE RETURN. 


FFAIRS had taken a more sombre aspect 


around the convent and the rectory since the 
pastor disappeared. It is true Father Rog- 
ers had often departed on a sojourn in quest of health. 


228 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

but be had always informed his faithful parishioners 
where he was to go. This time, however, he had 
neglected to do so, and consequently his disappear- 
ance was a cause of worriment, particularly because 
a “ fair ” for the benefit of the church was in progress, 
in which he always took great interest. When the 
people of St. Mary’s consulted the curate and Sister 
Marguerite on the prolonged absence of the pastor, 
they got but little satisfactory information, as neither 
knew where he went or when he would return. The 
parishioners did not know how to take the situation. 
Father Delon was not himself, and all noticing it, 
thought that he was overworked. The school chil- 
dren talked of the sadness of Sister Marguerite. Her 
face was long, and careworn lines that could not 
escape observation told that she suffered from some 
grievous ailment. The busy world still kept up its 
rapid gait. Old men hobbled off to their daily toil, 
praying that relief might soon come to them. Old 
women, too, went through their daily occupations 
under sore affliction. Ungrateful children had com- 
pelled them to earn a wretched livelihood or go to 
the poor house. No philanthropist regrets to see 
able-bodied men put their shoulder to the wheel of 
destiny and earn their bread as God has decreed ; but 
who that has one spark of sympathy, could not shed 
a tear when he sees poor, delicate and uncared-for 
children moving to their toilsome labors, which are 
surely weighing them down to an early grave. Man 
forgets his fellow and leaves him to go along the 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 229 

narrow patli of life without a helping hand. All 
nature seemed neglectful of the poor. The sun rose, 
and fell as beautiful as if nothing but happiness fell 
to man’s lot. The old river ran on ; sometimes clear, 
then again, murky and black. Babies played and 
cried as usual in the old tenements. God alone 
hears the cry of afflicted humanity. Heaven alone, 
in its great book, notes all. It had been the custom 
to celebrate the pastor’s home-coming in a fitting 
manner. The houses in the parish on such occas- 
ions were decorated with flags and bunting ; the 
streets illuminated, and all the societies in regalia, 
paraded through the city until they arrived at the 
place where the meeting had been arranged. With 
a band at their head, they escorted their beloved rec- 
tor through the streets, which were by this time aglow 
with bonfires and varied-colored lights. The bells 
of St. Mary’s would ring out and tell to the great 
mass of people that assembled around the rectory 
that Father Rogers was home again. The pastor 
disapproved of such a time being made, nevertheless 
it was done as a fitting mark of respect. He played 
them a trick in the present instance, in getting away 
unobserved, but they were resolved to receive him when 
he might return. The trustees sought to ascertain, 
again and again, from the curate, where his reverence 
had gone, and that gentleman could only give the one 
answer, that he did not know. Meanwhile money was 
liberally subscribed. In vain did the curate protest. 
Few inquiries were made for the artist or the sexton. 


230 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


It was said by some of the knowing ones, that the 
former went to Europe to take a course in artistic 
drawing, while the latter was a valet to the pastor. 
Thus the time made its course, and the young 
assistant grew more anxious each hour. Two long 
weeks had elapsed, and what had become of the 
rector ? 

“ O great God ! ” sighed the curate, “ suppose he 
has been murdered ; then the blame shall fall to me for 
not informing of the whereabouts of his suspected 
detention.” 

One thing alone prevented him from acting in uni- 
son with the police, and that was scandal. While in 
this mood, the superioress came to the priest for in- 
formation. Alas ! she found him in a more uncertain 
state of mind than herself. Thus far he had borne 
up under the afflictions that came upon him, and he 
resolved to bear them patiently. He had, time and 
again, consoled the broken-hearted nun, now it was her 
turn to comfort him. The gracious Sister could not 
control the tears that poured down her long, thin face 
as she gazed at the thin, crest-fallen priest. At last, 
with a great effort, and seemingly self-possessed, she 
began : 

“ Father Delon, I know that you feel worried over 
the prolonged absence of Father Rogers, but all the 
Sisters are praying for his safe return, and I am 
confident that their prayers will be heard.” 

Father Delon, strong-willed though he was, could not 
recover his self-command £S he half-tearfully spoke : 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 231 

“ Sister, I am troubled well-nigh to death over him. 
If I only knew his whereabouts. I fear — ” 

He could proceed no further. 

“ Father, do not fear ; he will return safe and sound 
from the Yellow Manse.” 

“ The Yellow Manse! ” 

“ In all probability, that was his destination when 
he went away in Jeremy’s company.” 

“ I thought as much. Oh, that awful house per- 
haps overshadows the mystery of my family.” 

“ Your family ? ” 

“ A story more strange than yours hangs over me ; 
some day you will hear it ; we can well act the part 
of sympathizers to each other ; you have the conso- 
lation of knowing to whom you belong, — I do not.” 

“ Our case is similar, Father ; let us hope and pray 
that God in His unspeakable mercy may set all 
things right.” 

The nun thought it best to leave the young priest 
to himself, as she thought that perhaps her presence 
might agitate him all the more. She was as self- 
forgetting of her own good as mortal could be. Peace 
of soul would soon again be hers, when the merry laugh 
of the younger Sisters in the convent Would call forth 
from her a corresponding happy response, when she 
might be as jovial to all at St. Mary’s as in days gone 
by, — this granted, and she wanted no more. 


232 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


CHAPTER XV. 

PLOT ON PLOT. 

left the Manse in a state of perturbation. 
So much was the even temperament lost in 
the Irishman that he danced every kind of 
a step from a cotillion to a hornpipe. He alternately 
laughed and groaned like a madman. His wild capers 
attracted all the attention of the Masons, and they at 
once put him down for a genuine fool. When he 
had concluded his part of the programme, he was 
lost to the surroundings. A throne extending the 
length of the hall — which was nigh fifty feet — stood 
directly before him. It was made of polished oak ? 
and Gothic in structure. On it sat the caliph. In- 
stead of the plain gown of white wool, he wore one 
of silk. Around his waist was a red silken sash 
caught by a golden buckle. His face, too, had under- 
gone an extra dressing of powder and paint, while 
his white locks were too pretty to be real. A long 
beard helped to give him a mark of venerableness. 
There he sat, as if he were king of Life and Death. 
Miss Angelina had disappeared. The soldier feeling 
that he occupied too important a place, withdrew to 
the rear of the hall. The members of the lodge ap- 
proached the throne and sat down on splendid easy- 
back chairs that were reserved for them near the 
caliph. The Masons discussed various subjects in a 



THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 233 

subdued tone as they noticed that their master was 
depressed in spirits. The Irishman, unable to govern 
his tongue, went on unconsciously soliloquizing : 

“ Oh, faith, I am like one of the seven sleepers, so 
heavy is me head. Begorrah, it’s a great house 
where they neither ate nor sleep. We’ll be like Rip 
himself, that slept twenty years without knowin’ it, 
sarrah bit of the neighbors will know us at all. Shure 
this is the night of the weddin’ — the tenth moon, I 
believe they call it. Wirra, wirra, it will never go on 
while Jeremy Owens lives. I’m puzzled how to pre- 
vent it. God is good, however, and He will prove 
Himself stronger than the old boy this night.” 

His lips moved for an instant in prayer, and again 
he distractedly resumed : 

“ I’m thinkin’ that it won’t be so hard to rescue 
Miss Angelina from that devil, after all. He is as 
fine an imp as ever straddled a throne.” 

Suddenly a massive door opened, and the red men 
attired in robes of scarlet silk filed in, in Indian fash- 
ion. Behind them, supported on two lovely looking 
girls attired in pearl colored gowns, came Angelina, 
dressed in a superb white satin gown. Over her face 
hung a long, silken veil, caught behind her long, flow- 
ing tresses by a brooch of diamonds. Her train was 
carried by the twins Teresa and Lucile, enrobed in 
neat dresses of pink. As soon as the bride made 
her appearance the band struck up a wedding march. 
The caliph descended from his throne as the pro- 
cession drew near, and took the arm of Angelina. 


234 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


As the cortege halted, the Reverend Stephen Long 
stepped forward from the audience . It was now time 
to act. Where was the artist ? 

“ Do you, Rabbi Omar, Supreme Master of our 
noble order and heir to the throne of Constantinople, 
take Miss Angelina Freemont — " 

“ Freemont is not that child’s name, Mr. Parson ; 
bless ye, but yer got things mixed.” 

The Masons turned around and viewed the soldier 
with contempt. The minister unheeded the interrup- 
tion. 

“ Do you, Seignor Omar, take this lady for your 
wife ? ” 

The Rabbi sharply replied, “Yes.” 

Stephen, turning to the young woman, “ Do you con- 
sent to accept his hand ? ” 

Angelina raised her veil. Her face was of an 
ashen color, and her response was a fierce “ No,” 
and she fainted dead away. The prince was seized 
with consternation. All his kindness and threats 
ended in the same blank refusal. He had power 
over her in all other respects save that he could not 
get that fatal “ Yes ” that would bind him to her. 
He was baffled forever in his hopes to win her. 

“Treachery!” he shouted. “There is treachery 
in this lodge.” 

Some of the red men moved toward the Irishman, 
crying, “Traitor.” That gentleman stood firmly 
braced against the wall. 

“ Back, me noble brothers, back,” he repeated, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 235 

brandishing his ever-ready revolver. One of the 
Masons grasped a shot-gun that was nigh and fired 
point blank at the Irishman. There was a loud 
report, and when the smoke cleared away Jeremy 
stood as unconcerned as if nothing had happened. 

“ Ha ! ” he broke out, “ it takes a good many chances 
like that to kill.” 

The gun was pointed at him again, and the Irish- 
man pulled the trigger of his revolver, and the gun 
went to pieces in the Mason’s hand. The brother 
gave a cry of pain, but he was only slightly injured 
by the stock. All was now in an uproar. J ust then 
Father Eogers rushed into the room, followed by the 
artist. The former seized hold of the twins, while 
the latter took charge of Miss Angelina. All was 
done in a moment, and before the caliph and his friends 
realized what had happened, pursuit was vain. The 
artist and the pastor knew the secret way to liberty, 
and when they opened one exit they took pains that 
it was securely fastened before they advanced further. 
As soon as the Masons came to their senses they 
followed the fleeing party. J eremy took this oppor- 
tunity to escape from the room, and descending a small 
iron ladder, entered a dark room below, to await 
developments. 

“ Hail Columbia ! we are prisoners in our own 
palace. Oh, I fear that our actions will be made 
public,” cried the preacher. 

“ Allah ! Allah ! ” snarled the red men. The caliph 
could not be comforted. He danced round the 
room, yelling in his frenzy : 


236 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ Doctor, you are doomed to pay the penalty of 
the escape. Imprisonment among madmen shall be 
your lot in this mortal life, and hell will add greater 
torments to you in eternity.” 

A tremor shook the frame of the red-eyed physician, 
and he howled piteously : 

“ Spare me such punishment, Lord Caliph.” 

“ You have sold body and soul to me in this life, 
and 111 leave you to my friend Satan, to take care of 
you hereafter. Take him away, my braves.” 

At this command the terrified quack was carried 
off by the red men. Order having been once more 
restored, the prince sat listlessly on his throne, while 
his subjects discussed plans for the following day, 
which was the Twelfth of July. Simon Lowe ad- 
dressed the meeting, when the plans were somewhat 
matured. 

“ Supreme Head, it is now fast approaching morn- 
ing ; the sound of the clock has struck the hour of 
two. There is no time to be lost. All of us, brethren, 
have a grievance to lay at the feet of the papists ; 
the wrong done to us by those crazy-headed Koman- 
ists we will revenge by robbery, concealing it by 
firing the church across the way.” 

He was interrupted by maddening shouts : “ Kill 
the papists ! The caliph sat unmoved during the 
proceeding, which, having at length ended, he asked : 

“ Brother Lowe, what impels you to urge bloodshed 
which will necessarily result from such destruction of 
property? Do you not know that public sentiment 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 237 

shall discountenance any such attempt and condemn 
the good work of our order. Bear in mind that we 
must first consult how to protect our own interest 
from the danger that is approaching.” 

“ If, Supreme Master, there are dangers threaten- 
ing, let us go forth to meet them. I think that the 
only way of fighting our foe is by extermination.” 

“Will such a course rid us of the spies that enter 
our most secret chambers. Are not the Romanists 
universal ? ” 

“You did not hear me through, your highness. 
In the general confusion which the burning of the 
church will cause, we will murder their priests, and 
once bereft of their leaders, our enemies will slowly 
die out.” 

“ The priests ? Are there more than one ? ” 

“ Besides the one here in disguise.” 

“ A priest within this conclave? Oh, heavens ! the 
one who is in fault shall perish miserably. Who is 
the priest, Seignor Lowe ? ” 

“ A certain Rogers.” 

“ Fie on my guardsmen that would allow a stupid 
Romanist to outwit them. And who is the curate ? ” 

“ Pere Delon.” 

“ A Frenchman, I suppose.” 

The caliph was agitated by that name. He tried 
to suppress the tumultuous passion that swayed his 
whole body. 

“ Delon shall die this night, and another Napoleon 
shall feel my revenge. Brethren all, Simon has 


238 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

advised well ; I agree with him in all he has planned.” 

The caliph sat down to listen to the further 
arrangements of the foul crime. The minister arose, 
and with a swagger of his own superiority, asked : 
“ Sovereign, may I beg you to state the reason why 
this plot should be favored of you ? ” 

“ A reasonable question, Reverend Sir,” replied the 
caliph, “ and one that will interest all here. Gentlemen, 
you are doubtless aware of the fact that Freemasonry 
took its origin in the far-off East ; all my ancestors 
from time immemorial being staunch defenders of it. 
It was, however, but little known until after the battle 
of the Pyramids. You have heard of the terrible 
Bonaparte. It was he that ruined my army of twenty 
thousand of the Sultan’s choicest troops, and wrung 
from me the opportunity to ascend the throne of 
Constantinople, to which I claim a right. Disgraced 
and banished after my defeat, I resolved to avenge 
myself upon him and his general. No chance was 
afforded me until the allies of United Europe marched 
into Paris, when I met the general who was foremost 
in the massacre of my soldiers. A sudden impulse 
seized me, and under the cover of night I made an 
attack on his home and set it on fire. The general 
escaped with his wife and child from the burning 
building. I saw him, and would have finished him 
but for the entreaties of his wife. The lady’s face 
I shall never forget. Her eyes of hazel pierced my 
soul ; and call me mad if you will, but from that 
moment I loved that Christian. To win her was my 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 239 

aim ; but I had my oath of revenge to settle first. 
Here was my opportunity. I learned that she was 
of the House of Louis the Sixteenth, and next in line 
to the throne of France. Ah, I had lost a kingdom ; 
here was a chance to win one by marrying the 
Christian. 4 Death to Napoleon ! ’ was my cry. Hav- 
ing once disposed of them, Louis and Queen Antoinette 
being dead, 1 had only to gain her hand and I would 
be King of France, and the flag of Mahomet would fly 
over that proud kingdom, and Constantinople would 
be revenged. This has been our aim, Brother Long.” 

“ Did she become your bride ? ” 

“ No ; I told her the secret of my life, and entreated 
her to become my wife ; but, alas ! she died before I 
could call her my own. At her death she entrusted 
all that I told her to the ears of a Catholic priest — 
a Moslem’s worst enemy — a Mason’s most dreaded 
foe.” 

A howl went up from all present, who, from time 
to time, replenished their slackened throats from 
large black bottles. 

“ The priest still lives,” shouted the caliph, “ and the 
grand secret I have kept from you until to-night is 
in danger of becoming common property, by the 
escape of the prisoners, to the downfall of Freemason- 
ry. The daughter of my lady love still lives, and she, 
too, has heard and seen much that should not be 
known. She can still bring to me what I have lost. 
By marrying her I shall again make one more bid 
for the throne of her country. If I succeed, then 


240 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

Christianity shall lapse into decay ; France shall 
become Mahometan, and my Masonic friends shall 
reap the fruit of their assistance, while the name of 
Omar will be memorable for all time. While dark- 
ness lingers over the city, our last hope rests in 
the destruction of the priests across the street.” 

The lodge members remained perfectly quiet while 
their grand master spoke, and when he concluded 
the chamber resounded with shouts and exclamations 
of approval. The prince raised aloft his sceptre, and 
twisting it violently into all shapes, a wonderful scene 
passed before the eyes of the hilariously drunken 
Masons. The bodies of headless Turks dangled from 
swords suspended in the air. Bloody visages 
appeared on the wall, and all sorts of weapons be- 
sprinkled with gore lay upon the floor. Simon Lowe 
took a piece of money from an uncanny hand and 
kissed it exultingly. The minister, struck with terror, 
discoursed on the result of bad gatherings, while 
the drunken Masons yelled frantically and the red men 
shouted : “ Allah ! Allah ! God is God, and Mahomet 
is his prophet.” The mysterious view vanished, and 
instantly, “ Spy ! Spy ! ” resounded from all sides. 
The Irishman had been detected as he tried to escape . 
With consummate boldness he dashed through their 
midst, tumbling over Masons right and left, while the 
red men followed in pursuit, vowing vengeance on 
poor Jeremy’s head. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


241 


CHAPTER XVI. 

THE BEGINNING 0$ THE END. 

HEN we left the pastor and Louis with their 
precious burdens pursuing their daring 
flight, the way out was not easily made. 
Every door they passed through seemed to have a pe- 
culiar combination and only opened at the last effort. 
An iron door which they sought to unlock, only yield- 
ed after a long and determined struggle, and lucky for 
the party, they did not advance far within the dark 
enclosure, or else another mystery might have been 
added to the Yellow Manse. There was a small cell 
with a door built of steel upon an elevator which was 
partly open, inviting admittance, but the darkness 
forbade the group to enter. An instant later, after 
they had come into the black space, the door of the 
cell sprung like a trap, and the cage shot downward 
at a frightful rate of speed. After wandering about 
for a long time the young artist led the way down a 
crooked stairs to the open air. Hastily the party 
went across the street to the rectory. Scarcely had 
they been seated than the Irishman ran swiftly across 
the roadway to the church window, through which he 
climbed, with the drunken mob of the Manse close at 
his heels. Jeremy fairly flew to the belfry, where he 
struck up the old familiar tune of “Home Again ” on 
St. Mary s chimes. When the sound of the bells 



242 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

rang out upon the clear morning air, the windows of 
the tenements suddenly opened, and heads were peer- 
ing out from each one of them. Some of the less 
sleepy occupants ventured into the street and saw at 
a glance that something was wrong. Some of the 
Masons, who were too drunk to get into the church, 
fell wrangling among themselves, and others broke 
the grand stained-glass windows. The few people 
who had gathered gave the alarm, and in five min- 
utes thousands were upon the scene. The Masons 
who had got into the church dismantled everything 
they could lay their hands on. They lighted straw 
and poured oil on the flames. But they were not 
long allowed to carry out their wicked end. One 
wretch succeeded in mutilating a magnificent statue 
of the Blessed Virgin, but his rueful act cost him the 
loss of his arm, which fell lifeless at his side. In the 
meantime the parishioners had taken a hand in the 
affair and handled the Masons roughly. The latter 
in turn proved a dangerous foe, as they shot into the 
crowd, wounding several. This served only to enfur- 
iate the people. They drove the Rabbi and his follow- 
ers into the Manse amidst a terrible fusillade of stones. 
They next subdued many of the white aprons, but not 
before much damage had been done to the rectory, 
which now appeared the chief place of assault. The 
priests came pluckily out of the house and begged the 
people to desist from the encounter, and it was indeed 
lucky for the still contending Masons that the very 
ones they sought to murder proved their best friends, 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 243 

else they would not have been so leniently dealt with. 
When the attack was well-nigh over the police put in 
their appearance, and the first arrested were Simon 
Lowe, the money lender, and his friend Stephen Long, 
the minister. An hour after the fray all was silent. 
Here and there a head could be seen in the tenement 
windows, ready to give the alarm if the assault 
were again repeated. 

Morning dawned, however, without a second en- 
gagement. Everyone, from the smallest child capa- 
ble of understanding what a “ Know Nothing ” attack 
might be, to the oldest man of the city, arose early 
to inquire all about the trouble. Rumor soon had it 
that the outbreak was more serious than published. 
No black legs — happily for themselves — showed 
themselves on the streets, and the houses of suspects 
were carefully watched. The Twelfth of July was 
certainly an eventful one in that old and populous 
city. For it was on that day that “ Know Nothing - 
ism ” gave its last kick, and well did the people cele- 
brate its downfall. Fireworks were sent off in abun- 
dance around St. Mary’s, and the entire city was 
illuminated by bonfires. All the societies of the 
church were preparing to celebrate a twofold event — 
the return of their pastor and the downfall of 
Freemasonry and Orangeism. In the interim the 
rector was holding a secret conclave with Louis and 
Jeremy. 

“ Father, I’ve kotched the snake, not killed it, as 
the great Shakespeare says somewhere. He lives in 


244 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

ambush, friendless, save for his few niggardly atten- 
dants.” 

“Jeremy, what have you learned since I saw you 
last ? ” 

“A whole bookful, yer riverence, all except the 
cover. Louis, too, has acquired a good bit of the 
case, and puttin’ one and one together, we’re thinkin’ 
every one for miles around is connected with the 
Mystery of the Yellow Manse. There is but one way 
of settlin’ this business, and that is by permittin’ An- 
gelina and meself to visit that old rascal.” 

“ Would you give her up to that devil again? ” 

“ Oh, you mistake, Louis. Faith I wouldn’t be a 
traitor ; but business is business, and I’m working 
for yer account — not me own. If 1 don’t have me 
way, I’ll leave the mystery to the devil that brought it 
up.” The artist saw that he had made a mistake in 
addressing the Irishman so sharply. 

“Oh, Jeremy, a thousand pardons. I am — in 
love.” 

“ I’ll forgive you ten times more than you ask, me 
friend, for I know by yer own confession that what 
I told ye long ago is true, is it not ? ” 

The face of the artist blushed knowingly to Jeremy’s 
question. 

“ Well, then, I hope to attend the wedding, but there 
must be no delay to business.” 

“Take her, Jeremy; gladly I entrust her to your 
safe-keeping.” 

“Be temperate, above all things.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 245 

“There ye are again, Father Rogers. Sliure I 
didn’t take a drop of the old stuff since, side by side 
with Louis, I promised Sister Marguerite to unravel 
the mystery or never drink again. Where is the 
good nun, yer riverence ? ” 

“ She is ill in the convent, since the excitement of 
the early morning.” 

The sexton left the room, and the venerable priest 
and the painter stood watching the preparations that 
were being made to receive the pastor. Chinese 
lanterns hung on wires across the street. The build- 
ings were decorated with flags and bunting, and the 
air was ablaze with bonfires. While they gazed out 
of the parlor windows, the Irishman came in, dressed 
in a suit of navy blue. He never looked better. An- 
gelina came from an opposite room, and when she 
saw her friend, she extended her hand and shook it 
warmly, thanking him for all his kindness to her. 

“ Miss Angelina, we must play another part before 
we have done.” 

“ What is it, Jeremy? ” 

“ Can you confide in me ? ” 

“ Yes, till death.” 

The sexton, after a hurried whisper, accompanied 
her across the way. At the time they made their 
appearance before the entrance to the Yellow Manse, 
groups of persons were gathering to attend the 
parade and banquet. It was the first time that 
a number saw anyone entering the strange mansion 
before, and they stood in amazement at Angelina 


246 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE; OR, 

and Jeremy ascending the steps. The beautiful 
attire of the lady attracted the attention of all, while 
the natty dress of the Irishman came in for many 
compliments from the admiring crowd. The sexton 
rang the bell, and Angelina covered her face with her 
veil. 

“ Please, sir, your business ? ” 

She did not know Jeremy, who had suddenly grown 
dark whiskers and moustache. 

“Is Mr. Babbi Omar at home,” inquired Miss 
Angelina. 

“ Yes, madam, but he will not be seen this even- 
ing, as he is unwell.” 

Jeremy interposed: “We are members of the 
family. ” 

Molly would have ordered them to leave had she 
not recognized the twinkle in her lover’s eye. 

“ Oh, then, it’s me own Jeremy. Shure when yer 
out of trouble, why in the name of God don’t you 
stay out of it. Your old mother, God rest her, told 
me that you would never be quiet until you would be 
settled down, and I don’t know when that will be.” 

“ Perhaps to-night, me darlint, and perhaps never,” 
the sexton laughed aloud. 

“ Hush ! the red men will hear you, and have your 
life. The master is wounded badly, and they say he 
can’t recover. ” 

“ Whist, Molly, but — ” 

“ But who is the lady ye have with ye, Jeremy ? ” 

Miss Angelina and Molly were soon in each other's 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 247 

embrace. Without further hesitation the Irish maid 
ushered both into the parlor. 

“ Molly,” began the lady, “ is there no way of inter- 
viewing the Rabbi without seeing the red men ? ” 

“ No possible chance for you, me lady, but there 
may be for Jeremy. The Rabbi is awaiting a doctor, 
and from what I learn, the man to come is unknown 
to any one here, and shure Jeremy can take his 
place.” 

“ A capital idea, Molly dear. Go at once and in- 
form the patient that the doctor has arrived.” 

She did not need a second command, but hastened 
to the bedside of the wounded Rabbi, who was groan- 
ing and raving in a frantic manner. She returned 
quickly, and motioning Angelina to go to the kitchen, 
she escorted her good-natured lover to the prince. 
Jeremy gave a sharp glance at the red men who sur- 
rounded the chieftain’s couch wailing incessantly : 
“ Allah, Allah ! ” The newly made M. D. pushed 
forward. He saw at once that his patient could not 
live many hours, nevertheless he went about his 
work with the skill of a practiced surgeon ready to 
meet the inevitable. He felt his pulse and ordered 
his hands to be bathed in warm water, and lastly, ap- 
plied a stimulant that seemed to work its effect. The 
Rabbi showed signs of rallying. He felt the beating 
of his bosom. It appeared to stop for an instant. 
“ Great God ! he is dead,” sighed the doctor, “ and his 
secrets have died with him.” It was only a long, 
heart-broken sigh, and the eyes of the caliph opened 


248 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE; OR, 

wildly and glowered searchingly around. He was 
suffering intensely. Lo ! the cause of the illness was 
apparent. A terrible gaping wound in his breast 
revealed the action of the heart. “ After all, life is 
put in motion,” thought Jeremy. One slight press 
of the thumb would have finished the agony of the 
wretched man, but that cord God alone had a right 
to sever. Jeremy gazed steadfastly at the eyes of the 
fast- sinking Eabbi, that stared coldly at him, and 
was almost horrified to hear him lisp between his 
teeth : 

“ Ah, I know your face, young lad, you cannot de- 
ceive me now. How can you be so kind to me? 
You are Jeremy Owens, the sexton of the church 
across the way.” 

These words whispered into the ear of Jeremy by 
so strange a personage, frightened him thoroughly. 

The rough, red, unpainted face saw the consterna- 
tion of the Irishman, and between groans and sighs 
the prince wildly continued : 

“You have been a brave fellow to endanger your 
life so many times by entering these precincts. 
What has been your purpose ? ” 

“ My dear friend, I had a mystery to solve.” 

“ And you solved it ? ” 

“ No, not completely.” 

“ What have you to ascertain yet ? ” 

“A few words from you will explain all.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! boy, do you not know that with one stroke 
of my dagger I could cut in twain the slender thread 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 249 

that binds soul and body together, and then all the 
secrets of my life would be buried in death. What 
use would you make of my confession?” 

“ Perhaps, my lordship, it would take away the stain 
of infamy that has been laid upon your life ! ” 

“ Pshaw ! young man, there is no hope for one whom 
the devil has once got into his clutches. I served 
him too well, and I realize now too late that Mahomet 
is a devil instead of a prophet of God, and hell is my 
abode after this miserable life is ended.” 

The Rabbi sighed heavily and was about to relax 
again into a stupor, when a second draught of liquor 
revived him. 

“Why say Mahomet is a devil?” inquired the 
Irishman, softly. 

“ He is a false prophet, and you are aware of that 
long since. You, I presume, are a Christian, and I 
am, — I am — ” the caliph could not go on, his voice 
grew so husky. 

“ You are, too.” 

The Rabbi smiled : “ Ah, that I were ! All the 

gold that ever the caliphs of the East possessed, if I 
could call it my own, would I give, to have lived a 
good Christian ; and, oh, how much now would I 
give to die a good one! ” 

“ Do not despair, my friend, it is not too late ; only 
say that you will try to die a good one.” 

‘ Oh, miserable existence, to have obtained nothing 
better than hell for all eternity ! ” 

“ Be calm, friend ! ” 


250 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Why call me friend, when I have been your bit- 
terest enemy ? I sought your life many times, and 
when your skill proved fruitless to save you, God was 
your protector. ‘ God ! ’ Yes, I once was an athe- 
ist; I once blasphemed the God who made those 
numberless stars that peacefully sleep in the bright 
azure of heaven. An atheist ! Oh, how I hate that 
word ! How the blood within my veins boils when 
that vile misnomen rushes through my fevered 
brain ! Ten thousand deaths with all the terrible 
devices of torture that ten thousand devils could inflict 
upon this wrecked carcass of mine could suffer again 
the thoughts that raised tumultuous insurrection deep 
in my soul for ten years. 

“ Atheist ! never can that name be applied to mor- 
tal man, for as absolutely certain as you see the 
myriad beams of light that sparkle in the pure sky 
above, there is no such word as atheist. Scoundrels 
may take it upon themselves to accomplish some im- 
position on their fellow-men, but how gladly they 
relinquish that title when they come to their sober 
senses, and cast it away as something abominable, 
bitterly protesting against a distinction they never 
really wanted. The murderer may choose atheism 
as a last refuge to the disconsolate terrors of despair 
that sickens his soul with the phantoms of evils to 
come ; but again, if the faintest ray of hope should 
dawn upon him in the darkest hour of doom, he would 
grasp it, though it were as frail as a sunbeam. He 
swears by the God that made him he was mad, and in 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 251 

pitiful, heart-broken lamentations, pleads with tears 
of repentance that the Creator whom he so grievously 
offended may take pity upon his folly. Every man 
feels in his heart there is a God.” 

The tears rolled down the caliph’s face as he 
glanced around and saw the red men looking treacher- 
ously at the doctor. With a sweeping wave of the 
hand he bade them return to their places. They saun- 
tered off reluctantly to the farthest corner ofthe 
room, where they sat chatting in their unspeakable 
dialect. It was some moments before a word was 
spoken between the caliph and the sexton. Jeremy 
saw that the patient was weaker, and fearing that he 
might die before he got the information he so 
greatly desired, proceeded with tlie conversation. 

“ My dear friend, your life is fast ebbing away ; 
would it not give you some solace to know that you 
would be forgiven by all whom you have wronged, 
if you only asked their pardon ? 

“ Impossible to forgive me,” groaned the dying 
chieftain. 

“.Bemember they are Christians, like meself ” 

“ Yes ; but I have offended these three men more 
seriously,” he sobbed, and a look of horror came 
over his face. 

“ They are better Christians than. I am, conse- 
quently they can forget a greater wrong.” 

“ You know them— the people I have so greatly 
wronged.” 

“I have partly guessed.” 


252 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Ah, young man, you have brought to light a secret 
that should be known only to the blackest Masons. 
Ah, at most you could not have guessed all the wrongs 
that I have heaped upon a poor, defenseless family 
and all for cursed love, ambition, revenge. How 
could you hold out to me such sanguine hope of 
mercy ? ” 

‘ Perhaps because I know the greater part of your 
workings. Repent, and forgiveness shall be yours.” 

“ My soul is lost eternally ; my secret shall die with 
me.” 

“ Unless you repent,” interposed the sexton. 

“ Repent — is there still hope ? ” 

“ Certainly, my dear Rabbi.” 

“No, that is wrong ; call me Prince Omar ; no, that 
is too honorable — anything, but Rabbi ; the Black 
Prince is preferable.” 

“ Mister Omar, there is no middle way in religion. 
The Jews have crucified their Messiah, and you can 
find no foot-hold for eternal life in the story of the 
Koran. Better become a Christian, aye, a Catholic ! ” 

“ Enough of religion. In the arms of unbelief I was 
born, and in them I will perish. To the creed of my 
forefathers I owe the cause that has made my existence 
so wretched. One favor I crave of you, young man ; 
before I die, tell me what has become of the children 
of the house.” 

“ Prince, they are under my care.” 

w Swear to me that you will protect them while you 
live ! ” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


253 


“ Only on one condition, sir.” 

“Name it — I am faint.” 

“ To whom do the children belong? ” 

“ General Dumont,” the caliph lisped. The 
prince’s eyes rolled in his head at the mention of this 
name, until the white alone was visible ; his features 
became purple and distorted, and it was evident to 
the Irishman that he suffered more in his brain than 
from the wound in his bosom. 

“ Swear to me now that you will protect them.” 

“ I’ll swear to that, prince.” 

“ Boy, never let the name of Dumont escape your 
lips. Hear ? If you do, I will haunt you till your 
dying day.” 

“ That I cannot promise you, as I am in the employ 
of his eldest daughter.” 

“ Angelina’s detective ! Ha ! ha ! inquest of Omar, 
the murderer of her father. Give me but a few 
moments, and I will escape the gallows. A murderer ! 
How dreadful ! — and yet I swore to his wife that I 
would never do the deed ! ” 

“ You are in the hands of God ; the law has no 
longer power over you. I am not a detective ; I only 
sought to repress a scandal.” 

“ Then you understood that I had the general’s 
wife in my power, and why did you not deliver me 
up to the authorities? ” 

“ For this reason, sir ; the lady is highly connected, 
and I feared scandal would fall upon her name and 
break the hearts of her loved ones.” 


254 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


“ Did you not know that she was a prisoner in this 
house, bound by chains to the man that she would 
never consent to marry by threats or flattery ? ” 

“ I only surmised that such might be the case. She 
was then an unwilling resident here? ” 

“ Yes ; and all the influence I obtained from Satan 
or Mahomet, his prophet, to whom I sold my body 
and soul, proved ineffectual to make her my wife. I 
loved her so dearly, that without her free consent, I 
would not force her to become my wife. She was 
loyal to her husband to the last, and I believe, if there 
were ever a spirit blessed, she was certainly crowned 
for her faithfulness and devotedness to her marriage 
ties. O wretched me, I robbed the general of the 
dearest treasure in life. I destroyed his house ; I 
murdered himself ! O abominable actor have I been, 
to have played the part of Lucifer, who in turn has 
worked my ruin ! ” 

Every word that the poor injured man uttered was 
most distressing to him. It was only with the utmost 
effort that he spoke. Jeremy, like the good Samari- 
tan, attended to him as though *he had been his 
dearest friend. He bathed his hands and feet, and 
wet his parched lips with a sponge soaked in brandy 
and water. The caliph smiled at each kind act done 
for his comfort. God alone, however, could give the 
balsam that would cure the dying chieftain. The 
young Irishman could not refrain from tears as he 
saw the terror of despair in the prince’s countenance, 
but nevertheless the good-natured Jeremy prayed 


THE MYSTERY OE THE YELLOW MANSE. 


255 


hard for his conversion. The caliph looked into the 
tear-stained eyes of the sexton ; ah ! he might confide 
the secret of the Manse to him, and taking his hand, 
he kissed it affectionately, and bathed it in his tears. 
Finally he recovered strength sufficient to speak : 

“ Tell me, my dear friend, and I will not despair ; 
is there yet hope of pardon from the family I have 
so grievously wronged? ” 

“Certainly, certainly, my dear sir.” 

“ Then I commission you to go at once and bring 
them to me, and also a spiritual adviser.” 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE CLIMAX. 

EREMY made haste in summoning Molly, 
first, to keep alive, if possible, the spark of 
life that would reveal perhaps the hidden 
things that God afflicted the many souls connected 
with the strange Mystery of the gloomy old Manor. 
Having warned Miss Angelina to keep her place in 
the kitchen, the sexton made all haste to the rectory. 
He briefly stated the purpose of his mission to the 
priest, Sister Marguerite and the young artist, who 
from the parlor window were watching the proces- 
sion as it was being formed into line. Without a 
moment’s hesitation all four, with fast beating hearts, 
accompanied the Irishman to the Yellow Manse, 
while the crowds in the street stood in blank 



256 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


astonishment as they entered the mysterious place. 
Jeremy led the group to the caliph’s room. The 
sexton whispered to Molly to go and get Angelina, 
the twins, Lucile and Teresa, and Anna and Mariette, 
the girls in pearl dresses, who were under Molly’s 
charge in the household. When all stood around the 
bedside with anxious minds, wondering what would 
be the last words of the patient, it was a far different 
group than that which was accustomed to assemble 
in that room. The pinched face of the nun — a thin 
skeleton of its former fullness and beauty — showed 
how keenly she had suffered through the long years 
since her father breathed his last, with the terrible 
declaration on his lips of “Murder, divorce and 
infidelity.” The white-faced pastor appeared to look 
younger than the curate, who had almost worried 
himself to death. Every moment was a century to 
Miss Angelina, who stood by the side of her true and 
tried lover waiting for a word of comfort from the 
dying chieftain. All stood with fevered brows and 
palpitating hearts for a sequel of the mystery that 
shadowed their lives. A deadly pallor came over the 
prince as he gazed wildly around the room, but the 
coolness of the Irishman urged him to unload the 
burden from off his troubled soul. At last, in husky 
tones he began : 

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sad meeting, but 
you are all Christians, and I am told that Christians 
regard their enemy with an eye of compassion. 
Behold me, an infidel ; and by the fatal wound that is 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 257 

in my heart, I swear, that had I known the real extent 
of my guilt, I had never acted to you all as I have so 
unjustly done. I fought against Napoleon Bonaparte 
at the Pyramids for my sovereignty, and when my 
gallant soldiers were standing around me, I stood in 
bold defence with an open challenge to fight any man 
single-handed in the vast army of that great general. 
My challenge was immediately accepted, and a small 
officer stepped forward, and we fought a bloody en- 
counter. I was severely wounded and stretched out 
for dead, but my adversary was a gentleman of choicest 
honor, and he refrained from killing a defeated foe. 
Downfallen — an outcast of my people, of my kingdom, 
and a wanderer over the face of the earth, I swore 
vengeance against Napoleon, and lo ! the brave warrior 
that fought me in the duel.” 

“ What was his name ? ” 

“ General Dumont,” was the reply to the Irishman's 
question. Sister Marguerite turned deadly pale, but 
bravely bore up under the strain which she saw was 
slowly but surely weighing her down with a fearful 
burden. “ General Dumont,” he repeated, “ a man 
inseparably allied to Napoleon, but who, alas ! has 
been, like myself, forgotten in the pages of history.” 
The prince paused for breath. He looked with 
searching glance about him. He saw the many- 
colored handkerchief which the nun drew forth to 
wipe away the tears that were coursing down her 
cheeks. He gave a heavy sigh and turned his head 
away. After a moment’s pause, he stammered out : 


258 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

“ Great God ! Sister Marguerite, do I recognize the 
pledge I gave you at Moscow ? ” 

The nun opened her eyes like one dazed. She 
staggered closer to the bedside, and fell upon her 
knees at the caliph’s side, repeating : 

“ Prince Omar, Prince Omar, lam still your friend ; 
I wish to know something.” 

“ Ask anything in the name of old friendship, and 
I shall tell you.” 

“ My dear prince, only continue the story of your 
life.” 

“ Oh, Sister, Sister, does it concern you *? ” and he 
searchingly glanced into her large brown wondering 
eyes with terror-stricken expression. 

“ Be quick, prince, I will have a talk with you after 
you have told me something of my family.” 

“ Oh, madame,” he whispered, “ what was your 
name in the world ? ” 

“Agnes Dumont.” 

“ O God ! ask me anything else, but spare me such 
a narrative ! ” 

“ Prince, remember your promise. Here is the 
token that binds it.” The nun raised the kerchief 
dramatically. 

“ Oh, Sister, permit me to break it ? Do, please 
do!” 

“Would you, noble sir, have infamy attached to 
my name ? ” 

“ Never ! ” 

‘Well, then, dear friend, remove it.” 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 259 

Tli6 patient moaned bitterly as lie continued : 
“ ^ treated your mother and sister as worthy of 
royal blood, not as bondwomen. They were my 
prisoners.” 

“ But where are they now ? ” excitedly asked the 
nun. 

“ Here is your sister ! ” 

“ O Angelina ! ” 

In a moment the two long separated sisters were 
clasped in each other’s embrace. 

“ My darling child,” spoke Sister Marguerite, as 
she hugged the lady of the Manse to her bosom and 
bathed her brow with kisses. 

The sight was too touching for all present. They 
respectfully bowed their heads in silence, and be- 
tween the sighings of their bosom wondered at the 
strange coincidence. The caliph watched the two 
sisters nervously, and at length the nun asked, with a 
deep tremor in her voice : 

“Where is mother?” 

“She is dead,” slowly murmured the patient. 

“ And died an infidel ? ” shrieked the nun. 

“ Be calm, Sister Marguerite ; I attended to her in 
her dying moments,” spoke the curate. 

“ Oh, my mother, one terrible remembrance — in- 
fidelity — is blotted out of my brain, and although my 
poor father was robbed ” — she paused — “ my mother 
was neither divorced nor an infidel.” 

“No, Sister, you have spoken truly; I have but 
one terrible thing to regret, I — yes — I — you are a 


260 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


Christian — oh, forgive me, — I murdered your father ! 
I swore to your mother that I would never molest 
him, yet I sent my servants secretly to kill him, and I 
believe they succeeded, alas! but too well Oh, 
miserable being that I am ! Oh, I did not slay him ! 
Say that he died of a broken heart ! ” 

“ Yes, prince, I was by his bedside when the red 
men that you sent arrived, but before they could 
perform the deed my father had closed his eyes in 
death.” 

“ Oh, God be praised ! ” exclaimed the dying man, 
“ I am not his murderer ; I never meant it — it was a 
mistaken order. Angelina, the old soldier of the cabin 
was your father.” 

The prince could not utter another word. Jeremy 
applied liis remedies without cessation. Indeed, it 
would be difficult to depict the scene which was 
occasioned by the group around the caliph’s couch. 
It looked like Resurrection morn, when all those who 
had been separated in death were seeking for their 
beloved ones in the newly-risen life. Again the 
patient aroused himself to consciousness. 

“ Oh, I have forgotten ! ” he was unable to complete 
the sentence. At this juncture the red-haired doctor 
walked quickly into the room, tlis rough manner 
was completely subdued. He was as meek as a 
lamb. Doubtless the incarceration he had undergone 
at the command of the caliph calmed his stern 
nature, and he timidly gazed on the persons around 
him. 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 261 

George Ludovic,” said the prince amidst sobs, 
turning to the curate, “I have a claim to settle with 
you. You thought you were an orphan, but this was 
a mistake. I had marked you out for the kingdom 
because you were a Napoleon. There is your father, 
whom I have greatly wrong, Doctor Ludovic.” 

“My long lost boy ! shouted the physician as he 
rushed into the outstretched arms of Father Delon. 
“ I was hypnotized by the caliph. I was no willing 
traitor to dear France. I was in the power of this 
man ! Oh, my child ! my George! ” he exclaimed as 
he kissed the hands of his priestly son. “ Forgive 
me, my boy, 1 was not to blame. Here are your 
sisters, Anna and Mariette.” 

Soon the young ladies were clasped in the arms 
of the young cure. Angelina then called Teresa 
and Lucile, and the four Dumont sisters were for the 
first time united. 

“Now, dear Christians,” spoke the dying chieftain, 

“ forgive a poor infidel who, having been in the 
employ of Satan, exercised his black arts, alas ! but 
too well. An infidel ! — no, a Christian ! Father, I 
need your assistance,” said he, turning to the rector, 
who stood close beside him. The party withdrew 
some distance, and all knelt down in silent prayer, 
while Father Bogers prepared the caliph for his 
last journey. The red men, with their small black 
eyes flashing like so many sparks of fire, sat spell- 
bound in the corner. Anna and Mariette kept 
clinging to their beloved brother, while Lucile and 


262 


THE UNCROWNED PKINCE ; OK, 


Teresa looked up into the kindly face of Sister 
Marguerite — and smiled a perpetual smile. Louis 
knelt near Angelina, and Jeremy took up a central 
position with Molly. Here was no painted scene, no 
pantomimed tragedy — but life’s real tableaux. When 
the venerable pastor had prepared the penitent for 
death, he raised his voice as he commenced the 
recitation of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, to 
which all responded. At the conclusion of the 
prayers for the dying, the priest motioned all to 
rise and come forward. 

The doctor handed the caliph a scroll, and at the 
same time Sister Marguerite delivered into his hands 
the many-colored handkerchief. The white-bearded 
chieftain turned to Louis. 

“ Take Angelina for your bride, and accept through 
the courtesy of Doctor Ludovic the privileges and 
title of a Napoleon, which he resigns in your favor. 
Unite the House of Bonaparte to that of Louis the 
Sixteenth, to which Angelina belongs. May the 
blessings of peace and unity remain on your new 
sovereignty, which I tried in vain to subjugate for 
Mahomet by Masonic treachery. Accept, Angelina, 
this handkerchief, which represents my claim to the 
house of Constantinople, and may that land which is 
so borne down by unbelief, be reduced by you to the 
control of fair France, and may the inhabitants 
therein be converted to the true God under the Papal 
emblem. I have lost an earthly kingdom, but have 
gained a heavenly one.” 


THE MYSTERY OP THE YELLOW MANSE. 263 

The caliph opened his little red eyes, and taking 
the hands of Angelina and Louis in his own, whis- 
pered, “ I have made my peace with the God of the 
Christians ; for His sake have mercy on me ; will all 
forgive me ? ” There was an affirmative response 
given, mingled with tears. The prince smiled. He 
could speak no more. The action of his heart beat 
slower and slower. Father Delon, or rather Father 
Ludovic, raised his hands for the last blessing. The 
dying caliph murmured something that was inaudi- 
ble, but he smiled a farewell that his lips could not 
speak. It was the “ Amen ” of his checkered life. 
His eyes closed tightly, and a deadly pallor came 
over his features. Jeremy felt the pulse, but it 
had ceased to beat, and the repentant soul was 
before his Creator. All prayed aloud to God for 
forgiveness. The red men shouted to their “ Allah,” 
but we knew that the prayers of the Christian were 
stronger, and the soul of the Uncrowned Prince is 
now freed at last from the snares of the Evil One, 
and enjoys an eternal crown in heaven. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


WEDDING and funeral. 


ACH in turn viewed the corpse. Jeremy 
asked permission to begin preparations 
^ for the funeral, which was accordingly grant- 
ed. and in company with his espousedhelp-mate, 



264 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE; OR, 

Molly, prepared to take charge of affairs. The 
happy parties left the room, and it was quickly 
arranged that Miss Angelina Dumont should be- 
come the wife of Louis James Bonaparte. Every- 
thing was soon in readiness, and the bride and groom, 
with Molly as bridesmaid and Jeremy as best man, 
descended together the steps of the Yellow Manse. 
Lucile and Teresa carried the train of their charming 
sister, accompanied .by Anna and Mariette. The 
crowd without saw that a marriage ceremony was 
about to be performed, and observing Father Rogers 
following the retinue, gave cheer after cheer for him 
and the bridal party. No sooner had the merry 
cortege entered the church than the bells of St. 
Mary’s rang out merrily. Vast numbers assembled 
within the sacred edifice, until it was filled to its 
greatest capacity. Wealth and beauty knelt in that 
splendid edifice, but none were as charming as the 
bride and her maid. Miss Angelina was as pretty 
as a picture. Her small but beautiful face shone 
out from under her long golden tresses, which 
were held together by a diadem of sparkling jewels. 
Her dress was of white silk trimmed with duchess 
lace. Around her wrist was a bracelet of sapphires 
set in gold, the gift of the poor caliph. Molly, who 
had been unaccustomed to such finery, looked 
certainly a social light. Her dress was similar to 
that worn by the bride, and her expression was 
scarcely less refined. Louis was a typical dressed 
gentleman, without appearing too flashy or elegant ; 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 


265 


his attire might be characterized as neat. He wore 
a tight-fitting suit of black, while his friend Jeremy 
was adorned by a new T suit of blue serge, which he 
had kept in reserve. The groom was a man of fine 
physique. All knew the handsome face of the young 
artist. His dark features and eyes attracted a great 
deal of attention, and every one declared that the 
strange lady had met a suitable match in Louis 
James. All besides were especially acquainted with 
Jeremy Owens, the sexton, but they were all deceived 
when the} 7 saw the good-natured Irishman with 
closely cut hair, presenting a truly nobby front 
instead of his happy-go-easy motion. All declared 
that there was going to be a double wedding. The 
organ played Lohengrin’s superb march as, arm in 
arm, the bridal party walked up the aisle. When 
Father Ludovic came forward from the sanctuary, the 
music ceased. The youthful priest, with the simple 
but solemn ceremony of the Catholic Church, which 
unites and never dissolves, bound two hearts in- 
separably together that had loved each other 
devotedly, and in so doing, united the great houses 
of Napoleon, Louis the Sixteenth and Omar. When 
the ceremony was complete, many felt disappointed 
that they had been cheated out of the novelty of a 
second wedding. The organ with joyous tones 
pealed forth again as the happy pair passed down 
the aisle. The proceedings of the day were such as 
the oldest neighbors in the parish had not witnessed 
in their lifetime. The broken statue in the church 


266 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 

reminded those present of the riot of the early 
morning. One hand of it was raised aloft, pointing 
heavenward, as if in vengeance, while the other was 
missing, depicting the utter decay of bigotry. Loud- 
er and louder sounded the deep-voiced organ, while 
the high arches above gave back the echoes in sweet 
response. The angels from the niches above looked 
down upon the charming couple, and seemed to bless 
them. 

Bonfires were enkindled anew, and red fire burned 
everywhere as Louis escorted his bride across 
the street to the Manse. Father Rogers repaired to 
the festive board, where the parishioners and invited 
guests were awaiting his presence. A great crowd 
surrounded the Yellow Manse, but gradually dis- 
persed as the undertaker’s wagon drew T up. At the 
banquet, at the pastor’s request, no reference was 
made to the happening of the day. A good time was 
indulged in by all. Songs were sung in sweet voices, 
and speeches were delivered with such grace and 
elegance that all voted the reception a grand success. 
The pastor concluded the programme with an appro- 
priate address, which was received with a volume of 
applause. The banquet being over, Father Rogers 
repaired to the Manse. He was greeted by the sad 
wailing of the red men for their departed chieftain. 
They grieved for him because he was their leader 
and master, and in him rested the hope that they 
would return again triumphant, to their houses, there 
to enjoy the friendship of royalty. But, alas ! they 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 267 

were now in despair. Tlie caliph was dead, and they 
resolved to work out a livelihood after the manner of 
so many of their countrymen, rather than be subject 
to the unscrupulous Sultan. Accordingly, they only 
requested that their beloved prince be buried the next 
day, which favor was granted. The gray dawn 
broke in upon the watchers, and found them wide 
awake, as if they had not lost an hour’s sleep. 
Jeremy contributed much by his humor to while 
away, the time. Long before the hour set for the 
funeral a mass of people surrounded the mysterious 
old Manse. Every one knew the mystery, but when 
questioned about it, told a conflicting tale. All 
points of the case were exaggerated. The darkest 
kind of plots were planned in a minute, and run to 
earth in as short a space of time. At last ten stalwart 
red men appeared at the gate of the Yellow Manse, 
bearing a beautiful rosewood casket upon their 
shoulders. The bridal party had changed their 
wearing apparel for that of deep mourning. The 
presence of the Turks attracted a great amount of 
attention. A similar sight had been witnessed not 
long before at the burial of Mrs. Dumont, which was, 
alas ! conducted under far different auspices. The 
people looked for the white-bearded old man clad in 
white, but he was missing, and they rightly guessed 
that he was the corpse. What struck Jeremy with 
’ terror, was the presence of the Turk whom he had 
fought in a deadly combat in the lake of the mys- 
terious mansion. He thought him dead, but in truth 


268 THE UNCROWNED PRINCE OR, 

he was very much alive, and when the Irishman 
saw that he was not really deceived, he thanked God 
that his victim was still in the land of the living no 
matter by what charm he had been preserved. 

The casket was borne slowly into the church, which 
was by this time crowded. Solemn High Mass was 
offered for the departed soul by Father Ludovic. In- 
stead of the shattered statue that stood under the 
altar, there was one of exquisite beauty and workman- 
ship in its place. This the young artist had taken 
from the studio of the house. Back of it was a pict- 
ure of the Blessed Virgin awaiting the coming of the 
Holy Ghost with the Mystery of the Word. The 
statue was a work of the twelfth century, while the 
picture which was modeled after it must have been 
of the nineteenth. Each bore a likeness to Miss An- 
gelina, and if not indeed a true copy, they certainly 
portrayed that graciousness and humility that char- 
acterized her while waiting for the day that was to 
manifest the secret of her life. 

Mass being ended, the last blessing was given, and 
the corpse, supported by the red men, was slowly 
carried to the grave. An enormous throng of people 
followed. Soon the plot in the little Catholic Ceme- 
tery was reached. Angelina, weeping bitterly, placed 
upon his mound a beautiful basket of white roses 
mingled with red, bearing the simple inscription, 
“ Omar.” With the name perished all that was mor- 
tal of the “ Uncrowned Prince.” Here in the bosom 
of the little Catholic Cemetery was the man who had 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 269 

aimed at the sovereignty of the kingdom, the crown 
of which he was deprived of by misfortune ; per- 
haps he was better off when death called him away. 
Who doubts but the poor wretch who sold himself 
to Satan and robbed a broken-hearted family of all 
peace in the world, was not at last sincerely repen- 
tant, and found, through the boundless mercy of 
Christ, a harbor in heaven for his ship-wrecked life ? 
Before departing from the grave the multitude knelt 
in prayer ; the red men, too, even forgot their cunning, 
and neglected their “ Allah,” and bowed their heads in 
silence. Here and there, whom suspicion might put 
down as a Mason, a man lisped something under his 
breath ; whether a benediction or curse, the great 
day alone wdll tell. All were in tears. Lucile and 
Teresa on one side, prayed most fervently, while on 
the other, Sisters Marguerite and Innocentia, her 
sweet-faced companion, repeated heavenly anthems 
sweet and low ; Louis tried to soothe the sobbing 
Angelina, and Jeremy performed a like task for his 
dear Molly. The priests pronounced the last blessing, 
and the throng arose and departed to their homes. 
The red men, followed by the mourners, proceeded to 
the Manse, only to depart hence in a few minutes 
afterwards, each bearing a basket of tinkets on his 
head, to become travellers in the wide world, perhaps 
now and then to exchange greetings on the voyage 
of life, and perhaps never. 


270 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE J OR, 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE YELLOW MANSE. 

MORE pleasant looking house could not have 
been seen a few days afterwards, than that 
which greeted the passer-by as he gazed 
wonderingly at the Yellow Manse. The windows, 
which had remained tightly closed for so many years, 
were thrown wide open, and the long, fine lace cur- 
tains hanging down in graceful folds made the house 
as cheerful as could be desired. The sun played his 
golden beams upon the yellow painted bricks, which 
shone with a refulgence that attracted the eye of the 
spectator. The flowers looked fresh and beautiful, 
and the bushes that graced the walls were neatly 
trimmed. In fact, everything, thanks to Jeremy, 
appeared charming. Many were the rumors that 
spread about the city as the gossips awoke from their 
day dreams. A few of the timid class said with great 
emphasis, that the place was still haunted by direful 
spirits. Some declared that they had even seen 
strange people walking around the bu*ilding after 
nightfall. Whatever might be the>current belief, none 
of the inhabitants of the haunted house retained 
the idea that spirits of the world shared their roof. 
Louis and Jeremy thoroughly searched the curious 
rooms and examined the furniture carefully, and 
explained all the mystery that surrounded them. 



THE MYSTERY OP THE YELLOW MANSE. 2 71 

The devotee of art, who has made the acquaintance 
of the artist, would do well to accept an invitation, 
if tendered, to visit the studio of the Yellow Manse. 
The physician, too, may learn many valuable things 
from the skeletons that are laid carefully away in the 
doctor’s laboratory. The mystery of the triangular 
window has been worked admirably by Jeremy, and 
he has become so proficient in its mechanism, that by 
the aid of the electric dynamo he is enabled, no less 
than the deceased magician, to bring down on stormy 
nights the lightning of the sky, and furnish a unique 
entertainment to the social caller that may perchance 
visit the priests in the rectory across the way. There 
is only one mysterious part of the house left, and that 
is its architectural design, so full of windings and laby- 
rinths. It is at once so peculiar and antique that there 
will always remain a mystery to the Yellow Manse. 
Everyone in the house is full of life. The prattle of 
the twins keeps all in roars of laughter. The doctor, 
strange to say, is so changed from what he really 
was, that he has become one of their best friends ; he 
cuts up all kinds of capers with them, and they forget 
his appearance ; and whether he is homely or not, it 
matters little to them. He is as happy as the day 
is long. * Anna and Mariette, too, afford him much 
comfort in his repining years. Angelina and Louis 
are kind to him, while his son, the curate, is the pride 
of his existence. There are frequent visits between 
the strange house and the convent. Father Eogers 
often shares in the merry gathering. There is no 


272 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


one in the parish but sees the improved health of the 
priest and the kind superioress. The features of the 
genial pastor are aglow with the flush of health and 
vigor, and his happy smile is expressive of his warmth 
of heart. His hair, as white as snow, falls gently 
upon his shoulders, but the merry ring is still in his 
laughter, and his people rejoice. The curate is once 
more himself. His dark face bears no sign of decay- 
ing strength, but rather blushes with the robustness 
of youth. His black eyes shine as brilliantly as ever, 
and his raven hair, brushed carefully from his fore- 
head, shows that the great trial he bore so meekly 
has passed away. In the convent all the Sisters are 
as joyful as their beloved mother, who has recited to 
them the Mystery of the Yellow Manse over and over 
again. Her health, while not altogether restored, is 
greatly improved, and in the breast of the noble nun 
there beats a heart that is ever grateful to Him who 
turns all care away. Time passes too quickly when 
all is happiness ; but how wonderfully slow it goes by 
when all is gloomy and sad ! It is noticeable that 
the good-natured Jeremy, whom everybody loves, 
pays less visits to his darling Molly. The poor 
creature is disconsolate, and the days are as weeks, 
till her lover puts in his appearance. At last, he 
comes no more to the Manse . Father Rogers explains 
with sympathetic accents that the poor fellow has 
contracted a severe cold, w T hieh he greatly fears must 
soon finish him. By degrees the good-natured Celt 
has faded away. Alas ! consumption with its terrors 


THE MYSTEKY OE THE YELLOW MANSE. 


273 


has laid its heavy hand upon him. No amount of 
care can save him. Molly, Sisters Marguerite and 
Innocentia, and Angelina are at his bedside constant- 
ly. He grows worse from day to day. He feels that 
his end is drawing nigh, and bidding a last sorrowful 
adieu to his lamenting friends, he passes away as 
gently as a child going to sleep, while the heart of 
poor Molly is breaking with sorrow. The announce- 
ment of the sexton’s death puts in true colors his 
amiable disposition and ease of temperament for 
which he was thought well of by all who knew him. 
Molly bore up bravely until the end came, but when 
he died she was inconsolable. Around the casket in 
the cosy sitting room of the rectory sit his weeping 
friends. Louis and the clergymen are talking over the 
loss of their esteemed companion, while Angelina is 
endeavoring to console the heart-broken Molly. Thus 
the long hours of the night dwindle away, and still the 
grief for the faithful departed continues. Night again 
approaches — the last one for poor Jeremy on earth 
— and morning slowly breaks upon the weary watchers. 
The sun is soon high up in the heavens. Shrieking 
whistles are calling the toiling masses of humanity to 
labor. The old tenements stand as of yore, nodding 
to the inevitable doom of decay. The old river winds 
its crooked course over the golden meadows 
asleep in their coat of mist, as the church-bell 
tolls the sad march of death. In a plain but 
neat casket, the remains of poor Jeremy are 
borne away by the children of the Yellow Manse, 


274 


THE UNCROWNED PRINCE ; OR, 


closely followed by Molly, supported on the arms of 
Mr. and Mrs. Louis James Omar Bonaparte. Many 
of the parishioners come to pay their last respects to 
the faithful sexton of St. Mary’s. A solemn High 
Mass is celebrated by the pastor, and the curate pro- 
.nounces the benediction. At the conclusion of the 
ceremonies the funeral procession passes on to the 
grave-yard. High above the sobs of the charming 
twins that resounded through the little churchyard, 
are heard the sad lamentations of the poor heart- 
broken Molly. After an interval the church-bell 
sounds another tap, as if to call the genial Irishman 
from his last sleep, but, side by side by the grave of 
“ Omar,” he will calmly repose until the call of 
Gabriel rings in his ears. Father Bogers imparts 
the funeral blessing, and a last prayer is said over 
the remains of the true and tried sexton of St. Mary’s. 
The sorrowful act is over. Molly has made up hermind 
to live with the Bonapartes. Though at times filled 
with grief at the loss of her espoused husband, she 
is nevertheless contented with the lot heaven has con- 
signed to her. Teresa and Lucile play pranks on 
dear Aunt Molly as they lovingly call her, while 
Mariette and Anne regard her as a sister. Miss 
Angelina and Louis attend strictly to her as if Jeremy 
were still alive. 

The scene of desolation is ended. Sister Mar- 
guerite and her sisters are as happy as the day is 
long. Morning and evening they kindly remember 
Mr. and Mrs. Dumont, the good-natured Irishman 


THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW MANSE. 275 

and Prince Omar in their prayers. The house of the 
Bonapartes is once more blessed. The people round 
about guess at the Mystery of the Manse. Some 
know part of it ; others, nothing ; but all have a good 
word for its present occupants. The pastor and 
curate are again hard at work. Over the desk of 
Father Delon hangs the picture of the “ Uncrowned 
Prince,” which keeps ever fresh in his mind the 
Mystery of the Yellow Manse. 

THE END. 












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Dt:c 22 1908 


















